Helen Keller lost both her hearing and vision at 18 months. She managed to gain worldwide recognition as a leader, speaker and campaigner while leaning and depending on those around her. Helen Keller worked tirelessly to promote the rights of the disabled. In addition, she also supported many other causes, such as the women’s rights, the abolishment of poverty and the fight against racism. Helen was the first deaf-blind individual to receive a Bachelor of Arts degree in the United States. She was also the first woman to receive an honorary degree from Harvard University. It goes without saying … [Read more...]

I once went to see Van Halen, a band fronted at that time by David Lee Roth. You may remember him. He was the alleged “nut-job” who insisted on having a large bowl of M&Ms provided to him backstage before concerts. He had one clause in his contract, which required that no brown M&Ms were allowed in the bowl. If any brown M&Ms were found in the bowl, he had the unilateral right to cancel the show, with full compensation for the band. Roth said if he saw one brown M&M in the bowl, he knew other items would be missed as well. On one occasion in Colorado, he found a single brown … [Read more...]

Unless you’ve spent part of your life in the Deep South, you may not be acquainted with the word lagniappe (lan-yap). It describes a long-standing French-Creole tradition in southern Louisiana and parts of neighboring states. It’s defined as a) a small gift given by a merchant to a customer with the customer’s purchase; b) an extra or unexpected gift or benefit. It’s often used to signify a small kindness, or going the extra mile. I first heard about it from a mentor of mine Naomi Rhode, one of America’s finest public speakers and a past president of both the National Speakers Association … [Read more...]