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Scrubbing the pizza dough pans

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“Refuse to let yourself get excessively out of sorts before you decide to address your lack of discipline.” Dr. BLR   Children are always trying to find things that interest them as they grow up. Oftentimes, they look to peers to see what’s either fashionable or fun to get involved in. This curiosity never escaped me, but only for a short time.  I knew from age thirteen that I enjoyed making money, so I didn’t have to ask my mother, a single mom. My first job, at a car wash in Jersey City, showed me what discipline can do for a young man living in an inner city. Washing cars taught me I had what it took to venture out and find my own way. This experience led me to the front door of Napoli’s Pizzeria, where I begged three immigrant men to hire me. After a cursory glance, I was told that if I passed their initial test, the job would be mine. The test involved scrubbing about 150 flour-coated pizza pans. I accepted the challenge, knowing that whatever they told me to do, I w...
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You’re just a number

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  "You are only as important as you see yourself, not how others see you." Dr. BLR   In 1972, I was in third grade when my teacher, Mrs. Williams, handed out copies of a Scholastic magazine. The front cover featured Franco Harris, a Black Italian American football player for the Pittsburgh Steelers. I was so struck by his appearance as a Black man that, from that day on, I’ve been a Steelers fan. Fast-forward. We’ve won 6 Super Bowl titles and made the playoffs this year, but we’ll have to do it without our star wide receiver, DK Metcalf, who was suspended for two games after confronting an unruly fan during a game against the Detroit Lions.  This was his first year with the team, and everything seemed to be going smoothly. However, after an uneventful play, Metcalf walked past the stands, and it looked like a fan had said something that upset him. Metcalf grabbed the fan, had a brief conversation, then pushed him back. I thought, no harm, no foul. He wasn’t ejected from ...
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Where are the chosen ones?

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“Victim manipulators can never be the chosen ones.” Dr. BLR   How much death and destruction can one person or group endure before they give up and say, “If it happens, it’s God’s will”? Over the past few years, I have had a few conversations with people who professed their religious beliefs and said the same thing: “It’s God’s will.” I will never discount anyone’s belief system, but I allow myself to ask, “Where are the chosen ones I’ve heard so much about?”  The question is rhetorical because they would only regurgitate the group they either read about or were told about in their youth, a group that has stayed with them. For me, this is problematic. How can anyone say that one group is better than another, yet in many societies, many people believe it without question?  I bring this up because the world has changed drastically due to wars in foreign countries, and these wars have ties to U.S. taxpayers. Faith bears responsibility for most of the conflicts. However, I ca...
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Are you fit?

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  "A wise leader makes decisions based on carefully considered consensus, and a fool follows their self-absorbed vision of reality." Dr. BLR   Lights, camera, action! These are the words of movie producers as they prepare to captivate audiences with their latest creation. Most moviegoers have waited to see the new release featuring the latest heartthrob, but this fantasy is only for the starry-eyed. The world has been glued to television or social media, waiting for words from the former reality-show sensation-turned-commander-in-chief.  Over the past six weeks, the entire world—truly, everyone—has unfortunately been held hostage by President Trump's unhinged words. Clear communication is crucial when you're held to the highest standards and the world is watching. In my sixty years, I have never heard or seen the President of the United States use profanity to express himself. While I don’t mind dropping an “F-bomb” or two in casual conversation, I never imagined any ...
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Peter Principle

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  “Silent leaders earn greater respect because they prepare others for leadership roles.” Dr. BLR   The world often produces some of the most impressive individuals. Surprisingly, they come from all walks of life. Many are simply naturally brilliant and born that way. We cannot replicate the depth of their knowledge because it’s innate, with no logical explanation to justify it—just something to accept.  However, some believe they belong to that class and can’t be told otherwise. Unfortunately, we find ourselves in this predicament. Leaders are placed in important roles based on either their past job descriptions or perceived abilities. I can’t count how many times I’ve seen this happen with negative results. Well, here we are again.  One thing my military and law enforcement background has taught me is that some people excel at convincing others of their abilities, even when they don't know much about what the job really involves. There are many intangible qualities...
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Look in the mirror

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  “At some point, the mirror must tell you that something has to change.” Dr. BLR   Life sometimes shows you the errors of your ways, as long as you’re willing to accept responsibility. I try my best to always be the best person I can be every day. Yet, there are days when I observe others and ask, what the fuck are they thinking?  The past decade has exposed societal issues and raised questions about why people act as they do. I can’t speak for others, but sometimes we need to look at ourselves in the mirror to confirm that we are who we believe we are and should be. Politics be damned, human life should come first. It’s rare to clearly identify what ails us, but today it’s become clearer than ever. Looking at the world stage, it’s obvious that certain white men are disrupting the peace and calm we’ve enjoyed. I’m not trying to stir racial tensions, but the culprits will stay unnamed. Geographically, they live in a country where Black people were once considered three-fi...
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Broken windows or broken people?

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“Intentional littering indicates a declining society.” Dr. BLR   This essay is about the human spirit, so I might face some pushback, but I am ready for it, so here goes. In 1982, James Q. Wilson and George Kelling, two white men—one a criminologist and the other a political scientist—proposed the “Broken Windows” theory, which argued that a visible sign of an unrepaired broken window indicates that no one cares, leading to more damage. This was eye-opening research, but over the years, it has been challenged. This essay isn’t that deep. I just want to add my own informal take and simplify it to the basic question: “Do you litter?”  Every semester, I ask my students to evaluate whether they are simply lazy or if there's a clear reason why some do, and others don't. For the record, I don't litter and go out of my way to flick a booger into the trash or find a tissue to remove it from my nose. Sorry for the unwanted visual.  While I know this question might get some strange...
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