By Bruce Green The wilderness is a humbling place. You don’t “impose your will upon it”- you learn how to survive it. Each day brings forth its own challenges that can quickly turn into dangers for those who are arrogant or unprepared. To survive, you must learn to be...

By Zach Alsobrook Special to the Opelika Observer Incentives matter. To understand human behavior, there is no greater truth. When a choice becomes more costly, people will be less likely to choose this option. At the same time, when benefits derived from a choice...

By Beth Pinyerd For the Observer Serving in activities for the elderly as a volunteer and activity assistant, one of the privileges I have had is to serve seniors in skilled care in groups or through one-on-one interactions. Adjusting to their new normal, seniors have...

By Bruce Green In the wilderness, there’s a premium on patience as it manifests itself in listening, learning and adapting. The wilderness has little tolerance for the impatient. In fact, it generally eats them for breakfast. Henri Nouwen observed that “A waiting...