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Living Category
Christmas in the Square
Every year our little town throws a holiday celebration called Christmas in the Square. As a youngster, I always found the night to be fun and full of joy; also, I often found good Christmas gift ideas in the local businesses. This year was the first time we have gone to the celebration in many years. It was amazing.
The square was packed, so packed that we never made it onto Main Street. We arrived just in time to see Santa appear with fire engine sirens a blazing. I imagine others around me could not tell the difference between me and a 10-year-old boy. I was taken back to a time of innocence when Santa was both real and scary.
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Written on 22 December 2009 by Mark Lewis.
Sailing Lessons in Life
During my Paralympic sailing campaign for Beijing in 2008 I wrote articles for my local newspaper. An extract from one of those articles conveys how sailing has taught me a few things to achieve success in other areas of my life.
Sailing teaches many lessons in life. If life is like a box of chocolates, sailing is a learned skill that helps you navigate these chocolate covered wonders. I have to admit, I don’t like the movie, but I have a yearning for some Tawny Port and dark chocolate as I write.
In sailing you must always be aware of the environment and its changing conditions. You begin to learn what to look for in a wind shift or wind velocity change. Developing this skill will help you in the ever changing business world.
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Written on 25 November 2009 by Mark Lewis.
Study Abroad Programs
Preconceived notions of college have always emphasized the campus and classroom environment. If you’re one of the lucky ones you stumble upon an opportunity to build on your knowledge and experiences beyond campus borders. I was lucky to learn about international studies and work abroad.
It was my sophomore year of college and I was moving into my new on-campus apartment for the semester. It was a two-bedroom apartment with a common area and shared kitchen. My roommate was new to the room as well but our suite mates had been friends and already living in the apartment when we moved in.
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Written on 12 November 2009 by Mark Lewis.
Important Things in Life
I was lying in a Johannesburg, South Africa hospital bed with my brother leaning overhead to clear the obstruction from my nose. The gastric tube in my nose made it difficult to breathe and breathing with my mouth open only made matters worse, creating a sore throat as the tube shifted from side to side. It was 48 hours since I broke my neck on the beaches of the Seychelles.
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Written on 02 November 2009 by Mark Lewis.
Opportunity Is Plentiful
When I was in high school I worked down at the local marina as a launch attendant. My boss was an avid fisherman who also ran his own chartering business. While I did have some experience fishing it was mainly from summer trips to Maine. Consequently, the only fish I had ever caught at the time were freshwater. Well, it was inevitable that at some point I would pick up saltwater sport fishing.
My coworkers and I got along well. One had a sailboat, one had knowledge of saltwater fishing, and I had a powerboat at the time. It’s difficult to fish off of a sailboat so my boat was the obvious choice when we would go saltwater fishing together.
Continue reading Opportunity Is Plentiful.
Written on 08 October 2009 by Mark Lewis.
Hello.
I'm Mark. When life gives me lemons I just roll with it.
