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Dec

Before I Die, I Want to Write On a Candy Chang Wall

by Sheron Long on December 5, 2013

Girl writing on "Before I die" wall in Savannah, Georgia, where messages show that people are trying to gain perspective in their lives. Image © Trevor Coe.

Aim high to reach for your dreams and to write on a “Before I Die” wall. (Savannah, Georgia)
© Trevor Coe

Gaining Perspective at the Chalkboard

It was such a simple idea. Some colored chalk, a dusty chalkboard, a single sentence. But when it lit up the hopes and dreams of a community, it ignited similar projects in public spaces around the globe.

Candy Chang painting the "Before I die, I want to. . ." statements on a wall. Image © Kristina Kassem.

Candy Chang setting up a wall to capture a
community’s hopes and dreams.
© Kristina Kassem

Candy Chang’s first “Before I die, I want to . . .” wall went up in New Orleans in 2011. Still growing, the count as of today is more than Read more...

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Clever Ideas/Making a Difference/Worldwide Sites

Dec

The World Weighs In On Gift Giving

by Sheron Long on December 2, 2013

Boy chasing after Santa and a gift, illustrating the pressures of the gift-giving season. (Image © Alphaspirit / iStock)

Chasing after the perfect gift
© Alphaspirit / iStock

There’s Wisdom in World Proverbs

The power of a considered gift is stunning. The world has told us that for years:

Gifts break rocks and melt hearts. —Uruguayan

Now that’s a high standard. How am I ever going to melt the hearts of everyone on my list? What happens if gifts exchanged aren’t “equal”? And how can I say “Thanks” and mean it?

I could have talked it over with my dog or asked Emily Post, but instead I decided to consult the whole wide world. Listen in on the conversation. Read more...

Sheron Long Comments

Proverbs & Sayings/Secrets to Life/Worldwide Sites

Dec

Culture Smart: How Did Thanksgivukkah Happen?

by Sheron Long on December 1, 2013

The hands on the dial of Prague's astronomical clock feature the Moon and the Sun, which are also the basis for calendars created by different cultures. Image © Lucertolone/iStock.

The Moon and the Sun figure prominently in the way different cultures mark time, serving as the
basis for their calendars and gracing old clocks like this one on City Hall in Prague.
© Lucertolone/iStock

Hanukkah and Thanksgiving Day converged in 2013, both falling on November 28 per the Gregorian calendar, creating Thanksgivukkah. And it all happened because of a once-in-a-lifetime calendar mash-up.

Different cultures and religions have created unique ways of marking the passage of time, basing the calendar on the Sun, the Moon, or both. Read more...

Solar Calendar: Gregorian