When I look at pictures of my grandmothers, I label them as old; they were always old. Now I realize that some of the pictures were taken when they were only 50. Only 50, now that fifty sounds young. When I retired, I thought about sixty-five being old, but since I was still active and productive, I quickly dismissed the idea. I adopted 60s are the new 50s, and I approached life as if I were still young.

I can no longer dismiss my age. When my 79th birthday passed, I realized eighty was only one year away. While even I felt 70 sounded old, 80 conjures up pictures of walkers and wheelchairs, loose teeth and soft food, although I have dear friends in their 80s who are role models for me with their active lives. I have a year to adjust to being old and to welcoming the gift of old age.

A gift is free and should have no strings attached. When we wake each morning, we have the day ahead to greet it with a smile or be an Eeyore who answers a greeting with If it is a good morning, which I doubt. As we seniors venture forth each day, we have limitations of abilities, income, and environment like everyone else. We are more blessed than some and worse off than others, but our attitude toward life colors how we react to circumstances and, in truth, what we get out of each day.

Good health plays an unquestionable role in accepting our gift of old age with grace and feeling younger than the numbers. Good genes help but, also, heathy habits. People smoked, and still do, long after the warnings of its danger. A glass of wine with dinner or genuine social drinking may not be harmful, but alcoholism contributes to early problems. Exercise and nutritious food are necessary to keep the bodys engines running, but some treats and lazy times are more than acceptable. I have been known to remark that at 80 I would eat ice cream for breakfast, perhaps topped with fruit to ease the conscience, and I might.

More important than excellent health, however, might be mental attitude. Why live to be 80 if each day has only gloomy clouds? We make our own sunshine, or we experience rain that muddies our minutes. During the shut-down COVID-19 period, my close friends are ones who mirror the positive attitude, even when their health issues loom or when disappointments mount with no pleasant solution available or when family members face difficult times. They are always looking to make life happier for others by sending cards of cheer each week, sharing books or sweet kitchen treats, or calling to phone visit.

Teenagers and young adults tend to focus only on the present, never thinking about the creation of bad habits and the eventual results. Our actions and choices have consequences that may never be reversible. How to impress the importance of being mature on young adults, when they are not quite ready for it, is a dilemma parents and we grandparents face. Being a role model is number one, but what else would be beneficial? Words often fall on deaf ears taking root only after tragic mistakes have occurred. Gifting motivational books might appeal to a few but lie dormant on end tables too often.

As our grandchildren age, they will realize that doors sometimes shut to allow a better door to open, that difficult times often are temporary and usually help build our strong fortitude to face other problems. My 79 years have been dotted with disappointments, uncertainty, heartache, but always a mixture of joy and eventual contentment triumph.

A recent televised sermon focused on Why Am I Here? As senior citizens, maybe we should simply ask, Why do I have this day? What purpose does my life have for the next twelve hours? Maybe it is to revel in the goodness around us, to enjoy our blessings. Maybe it is to be a conduit of good for someone else. Maybe it is to embrace selflessness and step out of our comfort zone. Much can be done in 12 hours, even when we move at a slower pace.

As we age and our stamina wanes, being a quiet support by verbally reinforcing our forever love is about all some of us have to offer our grandchildren. Love and prayers that they will come through their hard times with new strength to build a successful, happy life and make wise decisions may be enough. Each day of our senior years provides an opportunity to meet it with a smile and a determination to not let our age interfere with our enjoyment of the moment and to find purpose in why we have been given the gift of old age.

View post:
The Grandmother I Always Wanted: Old Age Is A Gift - Coronado Eagle and Journal

Submitted by Strickland for Washington.

Marilyn Strickland, former Mayor of Tacoma and current candidate for Congress in Washingtons 10th district, today expressed her support for the Justice in Policing Act which was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Democratic Congressional leadership in partnership with the Congressional Black Caucus. The new legislation mandates racial bias training for police officers, reforms the qualified immunity doctrine, and bans use of the chokehold, among other necessary steps towards reforming our nations police systems.

Todays legislation is the result of decades of work by the Congressional Black Caucus and the House and Senate Judiciary Committees to provide our nations policing units with both the support and accountability they need to serve, protect and respect all of Americas communities, regardless of race or ethnicity.

Just over a week ago, I stood with pastors, local leaders and hundreds of South Sound residents to honor George Floyds life and ask ourselves if justice and accountability would finally prevail.

The tragic deaths of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Manny Ellis have reinforced that todays legislation is long past due. While no bill will solve the problem on its own, the Justice in Policing Act is an important step toward national reform of our police justice system. We also know the justice system is more than policing and includes prosecutors and judges.

But we cant stop there. Congress must also focus attention on the other institutions of systemic inequity including healthcare, housing, banking and education to end discriminatory practices and increase transparency to better serve all of us.

As an African-American and Korean-American woman running for Congress, I am committed to giving voice to all members of our community. If elected, I will work with my colleagues from communities across the country to ensure that our nations institutions are working for not against the diversity that makes our nation strong.

Here is the original post:
Marilyn Strickland Statement on the Justice in Policing Act - The Suburban Times

An entrepreneurial couple from Bedford have launched a new mindfulness business inspired by the challenges faced by their three daughters during the coronavirus pandemic.

Hayley Simpson and Simon Baghomian, of Harrold, created the innovative product - dubbed the little can of can-do - to provide positivity prompts and mindfulness exercises aimed at children aged over eight, to help build a positive mindset and can-do attitude.

A fun and simple tool that allows children to explore mindfulness, living in the moment and creating a sense of calm, the product was created by the husband and wife team, who were driven to create something to help kids take a time-out of their stressful lives and re-set for a moment.

Hayley and Simon with their daughters Amelie, Eva and Ella

The Bedford-based duo have already sold more than 800 cans since lockdown began in March, with sales spanning the whole of the UK from St Ives, to Aberdeen and Belfast.

The unique product has since received the backing of mental health charity YiS (Youth mental Health services), with a portion of the profits raised from sales going towards supporting the Milton Keynes-based charity.

Hayley, business owner and co-creator, said: "As parents to three girls, two of whom are teenagers, we have become acutely aware of the stresses and distractions that kids face these days.

"The constant buzzing of their tablet or phone, the impossible expectations created by social media, the never-ending slog of school and homework, the complications of friendship groups and kids... the list is endless and can take the shine away from the brightest child.

We created our little can of can-do to give daily doses of affirmation and mindfulness exercises, this has become particularly prevalent with the current situation and kids' anxiety levels high with lockdown and the threat of a pandemic."

While they had seen various journals and tools in the marketplace, from their own experience, they knew that not every child will commit to writing something out daily so we wanted to create something quick and fun for kids to engage with, something simple and colourful but that still included important messages about confidence and gratitude.

Hayley added: "Our kids have been involved at every stage of the process and have tried out many of the exercises to see which works best for them.

"We have also partnered with a mental health charity YiS (Young Peoples Mental Heath services) who have endorsed the product, and this has also allowed us 'give back' with money from each can going to help them help kids with mental health problems."

Antonietta, Education and Training Lead at the charity, said: Our charity YiS, supports young people's mental health throughout Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire through counselling,

education and training; so when Hayley and Simon contacted us about the Little Can of Can-Do, we were delighted to get involved with such a great well-being product for children and young adults.

Messages of mindfulness and positivity can make a real difference to children and teenagers who might need that extra affirmation in their lives, and the cards are great tools to start discussions on mental health and feelings which in turn helps nurture self-belief in childhood which will stay with hem through their life."

Retailing at 15.99 the little can of can-do contains a month's worth of cards (28 in total) with prompts and exercises to encourage gratitude, confidence and positivity.

The cards have colourful and fun pictures to catch the eye one side and a prompt or activity on the other, encouraging kids to stop and appreciate the moment, look at the world more creatively and learn to love themselves.

After 28 days children can save their favourites and stick on the wall and use the colourful can for something else such a pencil holder or makeup brush container!

The Little Company of Can-Do has also created a second can called a Little Can of Can-do Social Media which contains 28 prompts and tips for kids and teens regarding staying safe and happy on social media.

It's aimed at children from teen years upwards and gives quick and easy advice on how to navigate the tricky waters of social media in a positive manner.

Due to customer demand they are also launching, this week, an adult can of mindfulness called the Little Can of Calm.

The materials for the cans and cards have been thoughtfully sourced, all recycled cardboard is sourced in the UK or EU, lowering the distance needed to process it, and helping minimise local emissions.

See the article here:
Creative Bedford couple launch mindfulness business inspired by challenges of lockdown - Milton Keynes Citizen

The police violence we are protesting is not limited to the streets.

In these challenging times, our local businesses need your support. Find out how to get food, goods, services and more from those remaining open.

Millions of men, women and children locked in jails and prisons are subjected to this same violence. Hidden behind cement and steel fortresses, there are no bystanders to video their frequent, unjust and cruel treatment. Due to the deeply rooted rule of deputy discretion, there is rarely accountability.

Our incarcerated brothers and sisters file complaints, but their testimony as criminals and convicts is denied credibility, while the judgment of uniformed perpetrators is unquestioned. The irresponsible grievance system ensures the complaints are filed in the trash.

Having served as a chaplain in a jail, I have been a witnesses to the dominance against the incarcerated, many of whom are poor, black and brown. Daily rights are revoked due to a look or tone. Confinement in a solitary cell can be punishment for a bad attitude. Limbs and digits might be broken during a mental health crises. Medical care has been withheld. All of this happens atop the normalized violence and oppression inherent to institutions that lock people in cages.

While protesting, remember our brothers and sisters in jail, for they struggle to breathe too.

Christa Fisher, Milwaukee

Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly!

Continue reading here:
Brutality in prison can't be ignored -- Christa Fisher - Madison.com

THE GAME DAILY | PAUL HIRST

Wednesday June 10 2020, 12.00pm, The Times

The Premier League returns a week today after a three-month hiatus, but it will not be football as we know it. For the first time, matches will be played in empty stadia, which will be an alien concept for players.

We spoke to renowned sports psychologist Martin Perry, who has worked with top footballers including Aaron Ramsey, about the mental challenge of playing behind closed doors.

How will players be affected by playing behind closed doors?

MP There are two elements: one is attitude and the other is concentration. I think attitude is not going to be as big a problem as you might imagine if a player hasnt played for eight weeks. Its a bit like coming back for the first day of the

Read the rest here:
'If a player is well trained mentally, it doesn't matter if there are no fans there' - The Times

The Covid-19 pandemic will accelerate major structural changes to industries and job losses in vulnerable sectors, said Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat.

But the Government will support workers to upskill and companies to rethink their business models so that Singapore can overcome the crisis and emerge stronger.

In an interview with The Straits Times and The Business Times yesterday, Mr Heng, who is also Finance Minister, said the world is facing an unprecedented level of uncertainty, beyond what was seen during the global and Asian financial crises.

Because of the "very deep" cyclical shocks to global demand and supply, it is unclear what the shape of economic recovery will look like, he told ST associate editor Vikram Khanna, adding that it depends on how countries cope with significant and accelerated structural changes in three areas.

The first is innovation, as the pandemic forces companies to embark on telecommuting and e-commerce. It has also sparked developments in healthcare such as the development of vaccines and telemedicine, he said.

The second is globalisation. The Ricardian model of comparative advantage - where countries specialise in goods and services in which they are relatively more productive - may be less relevant in today's digital economy, he said, adding that the new pattern of globalisation will place a premium on not just efficiency and productivity, but also resilience and equity.

"You cannot have a globalisation process where big segments of the population feel that they have been left out, that their lives have not become better. And the politics that you're seeing in many of the advanced economies is a warning to all of us on how those changes are going to fracture society and fracture support for better specialisation of labour globally," he said.

The third major change is the future of work. With artificial intelligence and robots able to crunch algorithms and take over jobs done by humans, both high-touch services - such as retail store assistants - as well as managerial and professional jobs will be greatly impacted, Mr Heng said.

"We are going to see a significant reconfiguration of the labour market globally, the rise of the gig economy and freelancers - and this will cause significant stresses in many societies."

Mr Heng had said last month that the Government expects 100,000 jobs to be lost this year due to Covid-19.

Countries that prepare their people for change will be better positioned to seize new opportunities, he said. "There are some business models that will be broken. So if we don't pivot quickly to new growth areas, many businesses will be in trouble."

EYE ON GLOBAL REOPENING OF ECONOMIES

I'm looking with great interest to see how this opening up in some countries in Europe will change the shift of the pandemic. I am hoping that it goes well because it is a very bold experiment. In Europe, the summer holiday is sacred. So, the pressure to open up has been very significant. And we'll see - if it goes well, I think we'll have hope that global aviation and tourism can recover more quickly.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER HENG SWEE KEAT

This is why the four Budgets to date focus not just on saving jobs, but also traineeships and skills upgrading, he added.

Under the Fortitude Budget announced on May 26, the Government will set aside about $2 billion under the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package, which will create 40,000 jobs, 25,000 traineeships and 30,000 training opportunities - about 100,000 positions in total.

Mr Heng said that while change is difficult, Singapore had a head start with its industry transformation in 2016.

"When we started, there were some businesses who were in denial and said, 'Why do we change, what is this big thing that you are seeing?' But I'm glad that more and more are coming on board. During my last meeting with the Singapore Business Federation and Future Economy Council members, it was most encouraging to hear how business leaders are leading the charge for change."

Industry transformation maps (ITMs), which aim to raise productivity and develop skills, drive innovation and promote internationalisation, were launched across 23 sectors and six industry clusters from 2016.

The Future Economy Council, which includes representatives from the Government, unions, trade associations and industry, oversees the implementation of the ITMs, among other things.

Mr Heng stressed that business leaders play an important role in lifelong learning.

"It is no longer just about that buzzword, it has to be embraced deeply by everyone. And I want to make an appeal to the leaders in our companies. As leaders, they play the most critical role in any big change.

"The only way people can learn something and put it to good use is when this is aligned with the company's transformation - so that both workers and businesses see that they are aligned in the same direction, and achieving that synergy."

Could this crisis have a silver lining for Singapore - by accelerating transformation that was happening a bit too slowly?

"That has to be our mental attitude. When something hits us, we should not just sit and moan and groan," Mr Heng said.

"Rather, we should spring up and say: This is now a time for us to accelerate change. This is a time for us to spring up and embrace the change which can serve both the immediate needs of tackling Covid-19, and our longer-term needs."

Read more from the original source:
On how businesses and workers should seize opportunities to accelerate change - The Straits Times

Boro need to wrap Patrick Roberts in cotton wool ahead of their battle to stay in the Championship.

The highly talented Manchester City loanee has a massive role to play in Boros bid to guarantee their ongoing place in this division.

Roberts took little time to settle on his arrival on Teesside and was soon oozing quality and making things happen.

His ability to run with the ball and his close control inside the box will be a key factor in Boros ability to score goals in the final nine games.

All the more reason why Boro need to tread carefully with Roberts away from competitive action, because they will need him on the pitch as much as possible.

But then this applies to the bulk of the clubs attack-minded players.

Jonathan Woodgate has displayed a positive approach to his team plans from day one and will relish the opportunity to have his most creative players on the pitch at the same time.

The three men who lined up behind Rudy Gestede in the last match against Charlton at The Valley will also be vital to the cause.

Woodgate operated with Marcus Tavernier, Lewis Wing and Hayden Coulson behind Gestede. All three have a natural instinct to push forward and create opportunities in the final third of the pitch.

The trio may be relatively young in football terms, but they appear to play without any nerves. This will also prove to be an important factor in the nine-match mini season.

Once the Championship games get under-way again, the current fun football on the training pitch will quickly disappear for those teams near the foot of the table.

The reality of the dog-eat-dog battle for survival will hit home with a bang. Some players will struggle to cope, after having slightly switched off since mid-March.

In this respect Boro are fortunate to have such level-headed kids at their disposal.

When Woodgate pitched them in at the beginning of the season, he stressed that they played without any fear.

This has proved to be correct. It gives the Boro squad an additional ace up their sleeves.

Another crucial ingredient will be the ability of the out-of-contract players to go out and play with clear heads.

There has been a great deal written nationally about the danger of out-of-contract players being worried that they might pick up injuries in the nine games.

Naturally a serious injury picked up in these games would affect their prospects of getting a move to another decent club and at the same time put the futures of themselves and their families at risk.

On the other side of the coin, a positive approach for the out-of-contract players is likely to be more rewarding than a negative one.

These players need to be brave. They must remember that they are effectively putting themselves in the shop window over the last nine games.

Some of them could end up staying at Boro, of course, especially as there is so much uncertainty within the game away from the Premier League.

How many clubs might not have the financial muscle to continue next season, especially if the season must begin behind closed doors?

The existence of some EFL clubs is uncertain. Out-of-contract players everywhere may have to accept that all salaries on offer are going to drop away from the top flight.

The bonus for Boro is that there is a togetherness in the dressing room. There are no reported cliques. Its all for one, and one for all.

In this respect Boro will surely approach these nine games with a strong mental attitude and produce the level of effort needed to keep the club in the Championship.

More here:
Patrick Roberts & 3 other Middlesbrough players who will be vital in relegation run-in - Teesside Live

General News of Thursday, 11 June 2020

Source: http://www.ghanaweb.com

File photo

The Executive Director of Basic Needs-Ghana, Peter Badimak Yaro, has said that not all mentally ill patients are clueless.

According to him, although there is the perception that people who are mentally unstable do not know what they are about, he indicated that some are actually very smart.

Speaking in an interview with Citi FM and monitored by GhanaWeb, he said, they behave abnormal but they are not stupid. Some of them are highly intelligent and very productive.

He explained, So we have to come to terms with the fact that not all ill-health condition makes the person become bedridden or have to lie down looking helpless. But some of them become too active or aggressive and should get the necessary help.

On the issue of treatment, he said many Ghanaians resort to spiritual institutions like Churches to solve or heal affected persons.

He advocated that it is not the right move adding that, We still live in a country where many people don't feel mental health issues should be treated in medical facilities and is rather a spiritual problem.

Peter Badimak Yaro also encouraged the public to support such individuals through maximum attention and care to help them be stabilized.

We cannot pretend to say we have erased stigma. There should be a shift in attitude and support.

Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer of the Mental Health Authority, Dr. Akwasi Osei has revealed that a support fund set up by the authority for the society to contribute to the wellbeing of mentally challenged people in the country has been neglected for seven years.

Mental health stigmatisation has been rampant in the African and Ghanaian context with little to no attention or investment made towards curbing the disease.

Send your news stories to and via WhatsApp on +233 55 2699 625.

Read more:
Some mentally ill patients are highly intelligent and very productive Peter Yaro - GhanaWeb

I like the fact there is now a recognised Flexible Working Day, for where would my life now be without flexible work?

Its near unfathomable to me working any other way now.

And I want more men to come and join me and reap the benefits as well, as too many are stuck working to a schedule that, following COVID-19, we have seen an opportunity to overhaul.

When I started my first professional job as a graduate in my early twenties, I thought there was only one way to work: five days a week. I had this reductive attitude for over ten years in my career. I didnt realise how much my upbringing, my school, and my father shaped my attitudes to work. I came from a stable, supportive and loving family, and my dad worked extremely long hours, and traveled overseas and interstate frequently. He was a true captain of industry. I went to a fancy, all-male, overwhelmingly-white private school on Sydneys lower north shore. It wasnt until I was about to have my first child, a baby girl, that I started to release how ingrained the male breadwinner model of manhood was in my psyche. I was never a live-to-work kind of guy, but even still, my own expectations when I became a dad was Id be working full time.

My first conversations with my wife, Julia, about how to share caring responsibilities started from the assumption that shed do less paid work than me, even though we earned about the same amount, were at the same career stage and respected each others ambitions equally. We both assumed she would do more caring than me. We had to deliberately pull ourselves up and challenge our thinking.

Going to a flexible, four-day week schedule was honestly one of the best turning points in my life. This, more than anything, helped us split our caring duties evenly, and ensured we could share the mental load of managing a home with two toddlers running on as much combined energy as the sun. It hasnt hurt our careers and weve kept the family budget from spinning out of control as well. Yes, some weeks are more stressful than others, and some weeks you feel guilty about how you manage the juggle, but overwhelmingly it is a powerfully positive approach.

Id love to see more men, especially senior leaders within companies, embrace Jacinda Arderns recent support for a four day week. The number of fathers working part-time before COVID-19 was tiny. About 4 to 5% of fathers worked part-time to care for children, compared with about 40% of mothers. Too many men feel trapped in a male breadwinner culture that tells them the best way to be a dad is to work long hours. They deserve to have a choice as to how to be a dad. Employers also need to do more. According to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency, in late 2018, only about one in four organisations had flexible working policies, and less than two in 100 employers set targets for mens engagement in flexible work. Surely we can make a silver lining from COVID-19 and dramatically increase both these rates?

Working flexibly has made my life more rewarding. I have had one day during the week to be with my two children and take care of them during this time, and they are the most special moments in my life. We goof around and play games in the warm sun, grab coffees and treats from our local cafes, explore little bush tracks near our house, and watch the winter waves crash on the creamy sands of the northern beaches while we draw pictures with sticks and build castles. To have this time to refocus my mind on what is important in life, to distance myself (even just a little) from work, and to reaffirm my close relationship with my children, is truly priceless. Im a better person for it and it helps with my levels of anxiety and stress generally.

Its also made me way more efficient and ruthless with my time. Im better at hitting the ground running when I start paid work for the day, prioritizing what is important and getting it done with less faffing around. Sure, there are days I hit the doldrums like anyone, and days when I kick myself for not being more productive, but ultimately there is a light year of difference between me working as a young graduate and me working in 2020. I feel I can almost create time from nothing these days. You see guys, it will help your career, not hinder it.

It was almost one hundred years ago that we got our current, rigid work week, courtesy of Henry Ford and his research into how far to push factor workers in making his T-models. We havent driven T-model fords for a long time, so why persist with a work schedule that doesnt match the way we live? COVID-19 has opened up a path to change to a better, more family-friendly way of working. We all deserve more time back in our crazy, busy lives.

Rob Sturrock is a working father of two, advocate and author of Man Raises Boy: A revolutionary approach for fathers who want to raise kind, confident and happy sons out now with Allen & Unwin.

Follow this link:
A four-day work week changed my life and is the best thing I've done for my career - Women's Agenda

12 Jun 2020 | 05:44am IST

Ibonio DSouza

Dont we admire and adore those rare few we come across who have an open-minded and flexible outlook on life? We admire them because people who are open-minded and flexible feel confident and can never get bent out of shape. Indeed, this positive and creative outlook is so essential for welfare of humanity that without it we place our planet and ourselves in great peril.

Oppressive regimes inflict terror and deny human rights because they believe that their way is the only way. Claiming to be the representatives of God on earth, some religious leaders act in the most ungodly fashion. What about our society? Are we able to see things from different perspectives? Can we solve problems in new ways? Can we understand and appreciate the view points of others? If so, why there are so many divorces? How can husbands and wives arrive at a consensus when their thinking, attitude, and perspective are so rigid? Saying I am right and you are wrong is nothing more than an expression of intolerance, narrow-mindedness and rejection.

Being open-minded to new or different ideas allows us to adjust to a changing environment. Much of the stress we experience in life is due to the inability to accept changes. But accept it we must, for it is both inevitable and the very nature of life. When a Mozart symphony suddenly takes a twist in a new direction, we do not get upset because we were not prepared for it. On the contrary, we are delighted by the surprise. Life is not different. It s a symphony. Those who are flexible relish its many twists and turns, ups and downs, ambiguities and uncertainties.

With open-mindedness we learn from past mistakes and willingness to take risks. Sometimes, prominent persons are criticised for changing their minds. They lack consistency and have no strength of conviction, it is argued. But what are minds for, if not for changing? Changing ones mind is not a sign of weakness, but of flexibility and growth. Flexibility promotes mental and physical health because it frees us from stress.

How to cultivate open-mindedness and flexibility? When you are inclined to dismiss someones view point, remember you too may change your opinion in the near future. Therefore, remain open. The more ideas you have to draw upon, the flexible, creative and solution oriented you will become.

Explore different options. When trying to reach a goal why not try a new way of getting there? Step out of the box and choose a different path or option that could lead to a new outcome. Expand beyond traditions to embrace new experiences and ideas outside of your psychological and cultural comfort zones. Instead of reacting to our challenges, we must take time to look at our options more objectively and respond creatively.

The flexibility of mind is a conscious choice, a powerful skill and a valuable approach to the ever changing, always evolving world we live in. We can be firm in our convictions, passionate about our beliefs, and clear about our intentions, and at the same time be flexible enough to make significant changes and be open to new ideas along the way.

Read the original here:
Herald: Being Open minded and flexible - Oherald