MSI Press Blog

  This excerpt comes from  Helping the Disabled Veteran  (Joanna Romer) Drive down any major thoroughfare in a medium to large-sized city, and you’re bound to see this sign at an intersection: “Homeless Veteran. Please Help.”  The sign is usually being wielded by a man between 20 and 70 years old, bedraggled in appearance and wearing a helpless expression on his face. Sometimes the sign says, “Will work for food,” especially if the Veteran is on the younger side. Sometimes the sign bearer is disabled, with just one leg, standing on crutches or in a wheelchair. What do we do when we see such a person? The light changes and we drive on through the intersection; or, if we’re feeling charitable, we put a dollar in the outstretched cup. Sometimes if we get a look at the veteran’s face, a tear may come to our eye: there’s something very wrong about this situation. The more cynical among us may posit that the whole thing is an act—that the man with the sign is jus...

  I’ve had a heart murmur since birth. Never bothered me. Never bothered the Army docs, either. More recently, I picked up a new badge: Left Bundle Branch Block (LBBB). My EKG shows it doing its thing. My annual echocardiograms? Normal. So I pay it no mind. But should I? 🫀 What Is LBBB, Really? LBBB means the electrical signal that tells your heart to beat travels a slower, roundabout path to the left ventricle. It’s not dangerous by itself—especially if your heart’s structure and function are normal, as yours are. 💨 Does It Affect Breathing or Exercise? Breathing : LBBB doesn’t directly affect lung function. But if the heart’s pumping efficiency is reduced, oxygen delivery can lag behind demand during intense exertion. Exercise : Most people with isolated LBBB and normal heart function can exercise safely. But endurance may be harder to build, and recovery might take longer. Heart murmur : If it’s benign (as yours seems to be), it’s just background music. But always worth...

  When speaking a foreign language, there are always opportunities for errors—sometimes embarrassing ones. These can even occur in one’s first language, especially when an expression is unfamiliar. For example, at age twelve, I was the master (senior leader) of our local Junior Grange. That year, our group was selected to perform the degree ceremony at the State Grange. During the event, there was a moment when senior Grange leaders were invited to say a few words. The matron (our adult advisor) leaned over and whispered, “Ask if there are any big whigs here who would like to speak.” Not knowing the term “big whigs,” and unaware that I should have said something like “senior leaders,” I blurted out, “Do any of you big whigs out there want to say something?” Suffice it to say, no one volunteered. The matron turned bright red—on my behalf. Years later, while presenting at a conference in the UK, I spoke about teacher preparation in the United States. Someone asked if there we...

    excerpt from  How to Stay Calm in Chaos  by Julie Gentile Wednesday Stay Realistic You’ve reached the point of the week. Do you have realistic expectations for how your day and the rest of the week will go? As a recovering perfectionist, there are still some days I think I can get more things done than I realistically can. I accept that. Although my schedule can be unpredictable and I usually want to resolve everything I can as quickly as I can, I’m learning to be more realistic and to give myself grace when the things I think should get done don’t.   You can’t expect yourself to do it all, even if you think you should, so please don’t hold yourself to your pre-crisis standards. Accept what you can do today and let that be enough. The least important to-dos will have to wait. Like me, you’re likely not able to accomplish things in the way you’re used to, so be a rebel and set your own standards and boundaries.   To stay realistic, I anticipate a few thi...