The Pursuit of the American Dream

Simple, Basic, Fun Ways to Win Back our Happiness.

Simple Sometimes it is so simple—a win for a beleaguered and treasured football team and a Halloween party. In these moments, we step back into traditions to reclaim our future by being present in the moment. For Mikelle, her brother, and his family, Sunday’s Bronco football team win in London renewed their hopes for a …

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Wait! What Happened to Our Community?

Creating Community in the Time of Social Distancing.   Mikelle looks longing out our second-story window reminiscing about the days when her routine included a trip down the street to the neighborhood coffee shop. There she gets her people and caffeine fix. This is her well-loved routine. Pablos in the morning, perhaps, a Starbucks in …

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Soul Mates. A Story of Love and Friendship

Fifteen years ago, a thoughtful high school teacher introduced Mikelle Learned and Jerome Stewart, she had a hunch these two might become the best of friends. She was right. Jerome played football, ran track and was a well-liked senior at East High School. He, like Mikelle, was a recent transfer student from another high school. …

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Holiday Harmony

Many of you, who came of age in the 1970s like me, remember being inspired by a television commercial. It was a Coca Cola commercial, where a lighted candle appears on the screen, and we see a young, beautiful woman singing, “I’d Like the World to Sing in Perfect Harmony,” the camera pans out. We …

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Holiday Blessings

Bless our hearts.  The heart, our capable and vigorous organ pumps our life force throughout our body. It pumps while we wake, slumber, worry, laugh, hug, quarrel, growl at traffic, touch a lover’s hand, sip hot coffee, savor a mint julep, or a tangy sassy margarita. As Christmas approaches, our hearts are focused on family, …

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Jim Warne, Ogalala Lakota film producer meets Mikelle!

Recently, Mikelle and I had the honor of interviewing Jim Warne, film producer of the documentary, 7th Generation. I met Jim at the Washington Initiative on Supported Employment annual Community Summit last June. She attended is a powerful session on disability, the importance of community and tradition and learned more about the terrible trail of …

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