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LIST OF DAVID BENTLEY'S COLUMNS


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Making Plans

Hunting for Easter Eggs

Unintended Lessons

Remembering What You Said

Multitask Schmultitask

Who Do We Think We're Fooling?

Life and Fun

Noticing Changes

Roots

Traffic Cones

Unexpected Kindness

Too Many Choices

January Fools' Day

Blown Out Midsole

Relaxing into the Holidays

I'm Done

The Waiting Season

Promise!

Breaking Tradition

Another Busy Week

The Leaves of Autumn

Picking at Scabs

Photographing the Moon

Standing Tall

This Adventure Called Life

Controversy and Truth

Coming Home

Unanticipated Gifts

Safe Harbor

Island Luminaries

Living Life to Its Fullest

Thwarted Plans

Learning from the Fair

Devotion

Screaming Ninnies

False Alarms

Anticipation

The Place to Be

Slow, Stop

Happy Holidays

Why We Are Here

One More Reason To Celebrate

Best Friends

Refuge

Uninhibited Singers

A Splendid Opportunity

The Symptoms of Spring

Weeding Lesson

Worth and Value

Enjoyable Pursuits

Spring Is Here

Won't It Be Fun?

Choosing to Be Amused

Common Threads

Shadow Angel

Lunch With a Crow

Must Be Nice!

The Drive for Perfection

When a Celebrity Dies

Busted

Morning Frost

Intergenerational Fun

The 3rd Day after the 2nd Snow

Hope for the World

Two Cats

Toy Tops

Holiday Decorations

Mistaken Identity

When the Willow Weeps

What You See is What You Get?

Thankfulness

Living Hard and Loving Well

What Could It Mean?

Which Offers Would You Refuse?

Rediscovering String

The House Down the Street

Seeking Comfort

Did You Ever Wonder?

The Unexpected Visitor

Rumors and Experts

Reach Out and Touch Someone

Friday Night Fun

Only a Red, Not a Blue

Wedding Rehearsals

Planting Seeds

Fickle Folk

Driveways

Damage Assessment

Becoming Less Verbal

Independence

Tomato Plants

Thank Goodness for Butterflies

Recognizing Alarms

A Way to Play Today

On Performing

Mother's Day

Waiting for the Rain

Just Say Oops

Remember To Breathe

Posed To Do It

Being Found

Signs of Spring

Our Great Work

Who Makes the Rules?

Universal Language

What Keeps Me Going

No Satisfaction

Going to America

Exploration & Growth

Ordinary Heroes

Little Boxes

Stomping through Mud Puddles

Being Heard

An Honest Mirror

Now What?

Winds of Change

What Else Does One Do?

Simply Magical

Sun Breaks

The Long Season

Slowing Down

Teaching Moral Values

Struggling to Understand

Why I Live Here

The Times are Changing

Letters to Santa

Determination

Going Crazy

Give Them Dignity

Folding Clothes

Right Here in the USA

Feeling Full

Life is What You Make It

Morning Fog

All Hula Girls Must Smile

No Guarantees

The Stand-off

Making the Sale

One Size Rarely Fits All

Beyond Being Right

Watching Sea Gulls

Raindrops

When All Else Fails

Complex Problems

Zealous Community Involvement

Treasured Memories

But It Looks so Different

It's a Guy Thing

My Undewear Won't Let Me

Laughing at Ourselves

Shades of Green

Another Day In Paradise

Making Up Stories

Hard Choices

Common Solutions

A Community Conversation

Still a Child

Predictions, Please

My Signature Red Coat

The Listening Heart

For the Love of Books

The Daily Parade

Dire Predictions

Knitting Lesson

The Magic of Snow

Letting Go

Angels Everywhere

Indisposed, Not Indispensable

Attention, Please!

Rubber Ducks Can't Fly!

Beyond Tolerance

The Aftermath

Holidaze

Fear and Passion

Remembering Those Who Have Died

Exhausted

Looking Up

16-Stroke Masterpiece

Confession

What a Great Plan!

Being Called

Statesmanship

The Last Big Blowout

Like It or Not

Four Days in August

Exposing Ourselves

Oops, Wrong Locker Room!

The Joys of a Small Community

Unexpected Mentors

Party Hats

Listening to your body

Celebrating Independence Day

Knowing What to Do

The Role of Father

Making Memories

More Fun and Less Frustration

Ignoring the Facts

Visionary Expression

No More Excuses

You're the One

Are You Listening?

Promotional Techniques

Easter Eggs

Don't Worry

God Moments

Reduce Heat and Simmer

Doing It My Way

Thriving Daisies

A History of Change

A Power Greater than Yourself

Majority Rules

Stealing Thunder

Amusing Behavior

Silent Awkwardness

D.Q. Speaking

Rules of the Road

Christmas Interruptus

Making Biscuits

Christmas Cheer

Persimmon Pulp

Halo Around the Moon

And We're Off!

How Thankful are you?

The Gift of Silence

Gutter Cleaning

Creative Change

Appreciation

Progress, Not Perfection

Building Reserves

Make It Go Away

A Time for Ritual

Let Us Not Fail

Rejuvenation

The Efficient Trip

The Chess Game

Spoiled Brat

How's Your Grid?

Changes Everywhere

Charity Case

The Big Event

War of the Web

Simple Pleasures

What am I Missing?

Boats & Beaters

Growing Pains

WHAT IS, IS

Wistful Weeding

Making A Difference

Million Dollar Possessions

Sun & Rain

Finding What You're Looking For

Following the Flow

Corrections

On Feathered Wings

Fully Appreciating Life

I Should Have Brought My Bib

Bitter Pills and Defeated Habits

Trying to Predict

Part of the Solution

Different & Alike

A Different Light

Because We Can

Rebalancing

Cheerful Fortitude

Discovering Reality

Experiencing Lessons

Separate Orbits

Practicing for Life

Getting Fit

Bumper Sticker Wisdom

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Winter Begins

That Yucky Feeling

Unexpected Angels

Being Thankful

What Do You Know?

Melorganite

Pulling Together

Tradition or Habit?

Information Overload

Relinquishing Distractions

Remote Controls and Magnifying Candles

The Truth about Leaves

Playing Well With Others

Saying Yes

Remembering September 11th

Maintaining Integrity

Fog foreshadows Fall

Fair Reflections

Fear and Blame

Miatas on the Move

Feet in Friday Harbor

Learning to Play

We Are Not Alone

Inordinate Fun

Big Boys and Girls

My Kind of Competition

Hope in a Bottle Cap

To Serve and Be Served

Are We Really Getting Older?

Worthy of Pride

Two, Four, Six, Eight, Whatcha Gonna Tolerate?

What Am I Going To Do?

A Different Path

The Power of the Mind

Nature's Lessons

Making Mean Faces

When the Body Speaks

Where Do You Belong?

Is It Spring Yet?

Let's Pretend

Perfectly Imperfect

The Facts of LIfe

The Strength to Live

Lessons from Friends

February Memories

Last Minute Short Cuts

Responding to Reactions

Simple Processes and Complex Techniques

Balanced behavior

What's Next?

Resolutions

It's Too Early

Creative Risk Taking

The Three Magic Words

The Holiday Spirit

Relieving Pressure

A Less Than Wonderful Day

Time For Action

More Important Than Food

Things That Go Bump in the Night

Smiling and Not Thinking

New Beginnings

Each of Us Matters

Fear Power and the Courage to Move On

Complicated Grief

What Are We Teaching Our Children?

How Are You Doing Today?

What Sets You Off?

Brakes, Accelerators & Big Feet

The Art of Layering

The Power of Perception

Utilizing Plans

Common Denominators

Dog Lessons

The Celebration

Simple Advice

Soaking Up Memories

The Cat's Meow

How Connected Are You?

Getting a Good Deal

How Do You Spell Success?

How Do You Spell Success?

Facing Life with Open Arms

The Beach Glass Collection

Holding a Vision While Facing Reality

Games & Strategies

What is the Purpose of your Life?

Discarded Treasures

What is the Purpose of your Life?

Finding the Right Balance

Cycles

Learning to be Independent

Willpower

Thinking Outside the Box

Not Knowing

Another Rotten Day

Why Can't You Understand?

Perfection & Reality

That February Holiday

What Makes You Smile?

Listening to those voices

From Information to Spirit

Being Responsible

Weekend Warriors

Challenges, Courage and the New Year

'Tis the Season

The Optimism of a Child

Seeking Resolution

What is Truth?

Involvement or Entertainment?

Giving Thanks

Politics and Movies

The Choices We Make

Who are You?

Oh, What Reactions They'll Share

Pleasure and Happiness

How Do You Handle Rules?

Choosing Our Own Stories

Reality and Perception

Getting Ratings, Setting Records and Making Choices

Seeing Things Differently

The Challenge of Choices

Fragile or Tough?

How Shall We Live?

Receiving is a Gift Too

Do I Do That?

Taking Care of Ourselves

Dramatic Settings

Powerless Not Helpless

Keeping It Simple

Visions and Expectations

Laughing sooner rather than later

Moving Through Uncertainty

Moving Forward

Wasted Energy

Missing Ingredients

Why are things so difficult?

Mistakes don't have to be failures

How many friends do you have?

Being true to who you are


© 2006 David Bentley

David Bentley, M.Ed., is an avid observer of people, places and events. He uses his storytelling and questioning skills to help himself and others think outside the box in an ever-changing world.

Comments about his column can be sent to davidbentley@sanjuanislander.com.

SAN JUAN ISLANDER © 2008

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