Essays on the Radio
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Adapting to the Possibilities of Life
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When Dr. Donald Rosenstein discovered his son was autistic, he grieved the loss of many of his own dreams. But in watching his son grow, Rosenstein came to believe in the ability of people to adapt to and even find joy in difficult circumstances. | ||
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High school senior Maria Zapetis has a comfortable life, but an experience at a summer camp taught her that many people around the world aren’t as fortunate. Now the Miami student believes it’s time she started fighting hunger and poverty. | ||
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While our nation is at war, New Jersey listener Aileen Mory wonders why her life hasn’t changed. She’s not having to sacrifice, and her kids aren’t being drafted. Yet Mory believes living in a democracy means we should equally share in its burdens. | ||
God Is God Because He Remembers
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During World War II, Elie Wiesel’s parents and a sister were killed in Nazi death camps, and he was imprisoned at Buchenwald. In later years, the Nobel laureate came to believe it was his job to share his memories of the horrors he experienced. | ||
The Heartbreaking Splendor of Human Bodies
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College administrator Carole Chabries had three pregnancies in three years. But two of her children were born prematurely and died. The daughter who lived has helped Chabries come to appreciate the complexities and frailties of the human body. | ||
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Chemist John Warner is proud of the new compounds he’s helped create. But when his son died from liver failure, Warner began to wonder why he was creating those chemicals at all. Now he believes in challenging the old assumptions of science. | ||
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How much do you tell your kids about things like drugs, death or sex? Martha Leathe believes in being honest with her children, even when it makes her uncomfortable. By being honest with them, Leathe says they are more open and truthful with her. | ||
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Cellist Yo-Yo Ma was born in France to Chinese parents, and he has lived in the U.S. since he was seven. Instead of trying to choose among these cultural roots, Ma decided to embrace them all. He believes doing so has enriched his life and music. | ||
Leaving Work to Gaze at Sunsets
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Laurie Granieri loves her job as a newspaper writer and hopes to be successful in her career. But after watching her father work himself to death, Granieri believes in leaving her office at five o’clock so she can enjoy the rest of her life. | ||
A Drive to Achieve the Extraordinary
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The “Guinness World Records” book fascinated Juliet Frerking when she was a child. But beyond the unusual accomplishments it listed, the book inspired Frerking to attempt things in her own life that she otherwise might have thought impossible. | ||
An Optimistic View of the World
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Dan Tani’s life depends on complex machines and thousands of people. But the rewards are worth the risk. As an astronaut aboard the International Space Station, Tani believes in trusting his fellow humans and being optimistic about the future. | ||
A Busybody's Guide to Improving the World
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After witnessing the violent self-destruction of a neighborhood family when she was a teen, Brigid Brockway decided she would never be complacent again. Today, she believes that sticking her nose into other people's business is an act of compassion. | ||
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Vermont minister Susan Cooke Kittredge has never been good at sewing, but she does enjoy stitching up tears and rips in her clothing. By mending broken things, whether clothes, relationships or our country, Kittredge believes we make them stronger. | ||
The Universe Is Conspiring to Help Us
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Whether hitchhiking to work or bicycling across the country, Wired Magazine founding editor Kevin Kelly always found strangers willing to help him. Kelly believes his openness to their kindness was as important as their willingness to offer it. | ||
Paying Attention to the Silver Lining
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Annaliese Jakimides' son committed suicide when he was 21. Today she keeps his memory alive by talking with everyone she meets—just the way he used to. In these personal connections, Jakimides believes she has found a silver lining in her youngest son’s death. | ||
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