By Daniel G. Jacobs When Michael John “MJ” O’Boyle was just 2-and-a-half years old, Grandma noticed his right foot slightly turned in as he walked. It was in December last year when she mentioned it to Michael, MJ’s father, who brushed away any concern. After all, what kid doesn’t walk a little pigeon-toed once in awhile? Maybe it was the... read more
By Daniel G. Jacobs Josh just finished his sophomore year of college. Sammie is days away from becoming a high school senior. Where did the time go? As a boy growing up in the Midwest, the time it took to graduate from high school and go to college seemingly dragged on forever. The time since has passed more quickly than... read more
Life’s lessons come in the strangest of places. Some of you might remember what I learned playing softball. Here are a few lessons I picked up at the health club. Some people don’t follow the rules. The gym is filled with all sorts of exercise equipment and weight machines designed to induce sweating. Signs posted around the facility remind members... read more
I was 15 years old when I experienced my first merger. Three years earlier my division had been spun off from the whole company. I was 12 when my parents divorced in 1978. Our “company CEO,” my dad, moved about an hour and a half away, so I essentially had one remote boss, while our division president, mom, ran the day-to-day... read more
An old man nearing the end of his days reflects on his very difficult life. He thinks of all the tsuris (Yiddish for misery) he’s experienced — business failures, illness, family and financial problems — and the list goes on. The man, visited by his rabbi, asks, “I’ve been devoted to God, followed his laws and yet I’ve experienced nothing... read more
