On December 26, 2004, a 9.2 magnitude earthquake in the Indian Ocean near the island of Sumatra triggered one of the worst natural disasters in memory. Walls of water smashed into the coasts of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and other neighboring countries, taking the lives of more than 230,000 people...

Hurray, it's a new year and a new decade! At least symbolically this change is a great relief, for 2009 was a year that seems to have left its mark on many people still trying to come out of its abyss. Although the recognizable signs of the Spring season are...

It sure looks like public trust and confidence in government in the United States are suffering. Indeed, Americans in large numbers today seem not only to distrust but also resent their government. And I'm not just referring to those who have been participating in the so-called "tea parties" that are...

As we approach the end of the year, it is a good time to reflect upon the meaning of our lives and work, as well as focus on the things and people who really matter the most to us. Of course, there are many folks who just want to put...

"Live as if you were living already for the second time and as if you had acted the first time as wrongly as you are about to act now," the world-renown psychiatrist and author of the classic bestseller, Man's Search for Meaning, Dr. Viktor Frankl, advises us.

For several...

"Whom the gods love, dies young," wrote the Greek playwright, Menander.

After waging a courageous, year-and-a-half-long battle with pancreatic cancer, Patrick Swayze, an actor and classically-trained dancer whose leading roles in the blockbuster films Dirty Dancing and Ghost made him a popular movie star, died on Monday, September 14th....

"The beginning of every government starts with the education of our youth."--Pythagoras, Greek philosopher and mathematician

The official end of summer is nearing and with it comes the beginning of the new school year. Back to school sales are a familiar sight and last minute family outings try to hold...

The subject of this post surfaced during my most recent visit to Crete at the end of last month. As a Greek-American of Cretan heritage, who has been actively engaged in the process of reconnecting with my roots, I found the standing and role of women in Greek culture and...

I recently returned from Greece and while I was abroad, I learned about the "Swine Flu," also known as the H1N1 virus, which emerged in Mexico and began spreading to other countries. On my way back to the United States, the concern about this unpredictable virus and whether it would...

As a Greek-American, March 25th marks a very important day for me: "Greek Independence Day." On this day in 1821, the Greeks decided to take up arms and fight for their freedom after nearly 400 years of slavery under Ottoman rule. Let's all pause to honor this landmark milestone in...

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, this is probably as good a time as ever to discuss the relationship between "love" and the "search for meaning." In this regard, Viktor Frankl's holistic view on the importance of our intuitive capacity for love offers great insight into how meaning in...

On December 26, 2004, a massive earthquake in the Indian Ocean near the island of Sumatra triggered one of the worst natural disasters in memory, known around the world as the Asian Tsunami. Walls of water smashed into the coasts of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and other neighboring countries, taking...

Question: Why doesn't the civil servant look out her window in the morning? Answer: So she'll have something to do in the afternoon.

Doing the public's work, in my opinion, has always been a noble calling even though working in government does not always conjure up positive images among citizens....

It is being called the "Miracle on the Hudson." On Thursday, January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 crashed into the Hudson River minutes after takeoff from New York City's LaGuardia Airport. After being crippled by a collision with a flock of birds, the plane carrying 155 passengers went down...

A dear friend of mine died this past week from pancreatic cancer. Juan was only 57 years old, and unlike either Patrick Swayze or Steve Jobs, he did not have much time to resist or fight, let alone overcome, the fast-spreading disease in his body that was killing him. Tragically,...

Over the holidays, I went to see the movie, "Marley & Me," which is based on The New York Times bestselling autobiographical book, Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog, by journalist John Grogan. In brief, this is the sentimental story of a newlywed couple who...

The ancient Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, who was a contemporary of Confucius, Lao Tsu, and the Buddha, is reported to have said that "you can never walk though the same river twice." More accurately, the English translation from the Greek goes thus: "The river where you set your foot just now...

It's that time of year again! You know, when we not only should be in the "holiday spirit" but also should be preparing for the New Year. There is no question that 2008 has been filled with many challenges and, for many of us, it will be a year that...

"The Times They Are A-Changin," sang Bob Dylan, which is one of his most famous title tracks for it captured the spirit of social and political upheaval that characterized the 1960s. Personally, this was a coming of age period for me (i.e., my transition from adolescence to adulthood); and,...

"The sky is falling! The sky is falling!" cried Chicken Little. If you are unfamiliar or don't remember the story of Chicken Little, I invite you to watch one of the versions of this classic tale produced in 1943--another challenging time in our Nation's history--by Walt Disney (click here)....