Power in the sounds of silence
Shhhhhh! Somebody around you might be thinking. Or creating. Or healing. Quiet in today's world may seem impossible. But despite pressures in the workplace and in social circles to collaborate,...
All Stories
Gambling: Pastime or illness?
As a teen, Scott Damiani got adults to place bets for him at a horse track. He wagered instead of studying, losing college scholarships when his grades plummeted. Over the...
Gambling: Pastime or illness?
As a teen, Scott Damiani got adults to place bets for him at a horse track. He wagered instead of studying, losing college scholarships when his grades plummeted. Over the...
It’s a dirty little secret: Playing in mud isn’t so bad for kids
Mary Ruebush was building a barn in Montana years ago when she looked over and discovered her toddler son had crawled off his blanket and smeared horse manure in his...
Electric bikes gear up for increasing popularity
Tim Dooley, of Prairie Grove, tried keeping up with his wife on bike rides, but, as he put it, he "simply didn't share her enthusiasm for pedaling that long." Then,...
African-Americans delve into family history
Pat Bearden has long been on a mission to learn about her ancestors, but an account of her enslaved great, great-grandmother being emancipated left her enthralled. "It raised the hairs...
FitKids classes
The Schaumburg-Hoffman Estates area is applying the saying "It takes a village to raise a child" to the complex problem of childhood obesity. In ways large, such as discouraging parents...
What’s the buzz?
An irrepressible young hotel owner repeats this mantra to retirees in the movie "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel": "Everything will be all right in the end. If it's not all...
Voices emerge from silence
Putting experiences in writing can be a powerful therapeutic tool, no matter how horrific or mundane they are. "An amazing thing happens when somebody who's mentally ill gets a chance...
‘Shalom Sesame’ teaches kids about Judaism
Ernie's in a bubbly bathtub with the rubber ducky Barvazoni and they're playing a Hebrew version of Simon Says. "Where's your af ... beten ... yad," sings the Muppet mainstay...