By JIM NICHOLS The two trees are rather like twins in many ways. They stand next to one another, separated by perhaps thirty feet. One of the trees is on the edge of our yard and the other is across our neighbor’s driveway in about the center of their front yard. Judging from the similar ages of our two houses,
Read moreBy JIM NICHOLS Sometimes it is best just to do what is requested. The request was simple. “I have to move out of my house at 5:30 tomorrow evening. I cannot do it physically by myself; I need some help.” Moving from one house to another is complicated. The fact that there are sometimes positive outcomes might smooth out the
Read moreBy JIM NICHOLS A news report recently identified interesting results. A large number of college students (2,700) from five countries—three from Western cultures and two from Eastern cultures—took a common survey. The content of the survey forced the students to narrow down which characteristics they considered most important as they chose a lifetime mate. The survey took a progressive approach
Read moreBy JIM NICHOLS It has been said that sometimes you write what you need to read yourself. Here goes. There are two linked pieces to my thinking here. Consideration of them causes me to talk to myself and the conclusions boil down to just a few words. Unfortunately, though this conclusion consists of minimal words, they are functionally difficult for
Read moreBy JIM NICHOLS I do not like the idea. I prefer to think and believe that my current self is the result of something within me. I prefer to believe that, as a child, I had a rather central future that, though I did not know about it in detail, simply unfolded as I grew older. Thus, as an adult,
Read moreBy JIM NICHOLS Although some people call it “jogging,” I call it “running;” that sounds faster to me. I have never understood why people outside running or even walking wear ear buds. One of the major reasons I go outside to exercise is to hear outside sounds in addition to breathing fresh air and seeing nature. Clearly, I must be
Read moreBy JIM NICHOLS I have frequently asked my students, “Who has been an important person in your life?” There are predictable responses such as parents and grandparents, but often many students will identify a specific teacher in their past. Asked to expand, they will usually describe a classroom teacher who was just the right person at the right time in
Read moreBy JIM NICHOLS As a professional biologist, I have lived most of my life in a world of data. One does an experiment and collects numbers that may or may not show trends. One designs experiments in such a way as to minimize the number of variables so that observations made might lead to a reasonable conclusion. The conclusions are
Read moreBy JIM NICHOLS A good part of my life I do not really feel like I know what I am doing. It is not that I am particularly brave, but I have had enough unexpected growth experiences from stepping out that I have found it rewarding; or, at least frequently rewarding enough to take some chances. However, taking chances means
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