Bill Davidson is ready to go. He sits behind his desk, holding his arms, and before I can fully sit down, he grins and says, "OK, let's start."At 84, Davidson needn't wait for anything or anyone. And those who know him suggest, at his age, he's not waiting around for the perfect words, either. He speaks his mind, honestly and frankly. He is at times impish, coy and painfully blunt.
The summer's over, the kids are back to school and the NFL's first snap is just a day away. Obviously, it's time for the Lions to hire their running backs.Hello, Rudi Johnson and Marcus Thomas.Good-bye, Tatum Bell and Aveion Cason.
Because it's China.Because I can still see the opening ceremony in my head.Because the first people who greeted us gave a small bow, a symbol of respect that repeated itself every day.Because of Michael Phelps.Because of his mother.Because of stories that turn on one hundredth of a second.Because of NBA players jumping up and down at center court, as if they'd just won a high school title.Because of seeing Kobe and LeBron, unannounced, clapping for U.S. athletes at the pool.Because 20 Chinese will gather to give directions.
DAY 17: The end of this and the beginning of everything else.BEIJING - The stage is bare, the seats are empty, and you can hear your voice echo off the ceiling. On any given night a musical or concert might take place here. On Sunday mornings, however, around 7, people enter the 21st Century Theater off Liangmaqiao Road carrying wires, microphones and large posters of Christian religious symbols. Within a few hours, services are being held. There is praying. There is a sermon. It mimics, on most levels, what will happen today in churches across America.
DAY 17: The end of this and the beginning of everything else.BEIJING - The stage is bare, the seats are empty and you can hear your voice echo off the ceiling. On any given night a musical or a concert might take place here. On Sunday mornings, however, around 7, people enter the 21st Century Theater off Liangmaqiao Road carrying wires, microphones and large posters of Christian religious symbols. Within a few hours, services are being held. There is praying. There is a sermon. It mimics, on most levels, what will happen today in churches across America.
DAY 16: Bruce Jenner, ha!BEIJING - They finished the Olympic decathlon Friday, opening with the 100 meters, then the long jump, then yada, yada, yada. I had my own decathlon to run. Before leaving Beijing, there were 10 events I needed in order to complete my experience. I woke up early. I pulled on my USA jersey. And I plunged into
Mitch Albom writes about running an orphanage in impoverished Port-au-Prince, Haiti, his kids, their hardships, laughs and challenges, and the life lessons he’s learned there every day.
