I recently finished a class in improvisational acting at SBCC and learned some wonderful lessons about life and behavior that I thought I would share while on my pedestal, known as my column, this week.

I’ve been speaking with friends and family members who have taken the opportunity this summer to unplug their lives from all of their electronic communication systems for a little while. This should be done not just for an hour or two or while at the movies, but for a solid weekend or even several days.

It's been a few years since I have been directly involved with getting my own children ready for the first day of school, as they are older now, yet the memories are quite vivid. Actually, my daughter started this school year as a teacher for the first time, so a very different experience. It was fascinating to hear all that goes on from the teacher's perspective for a change.

Starting at a new school by moving from elementary to junior high or from junior high to high school can be anxiety ridden due to the changes and differences that are inherent at the new environment. The biggest changes are generally from elementary to junior high and again from high school to college, as the schedule is quite a bit different.

In my column last week I addressed the challenges of a student going from elementary school into Junior High school. This week I will touch on some areas to ponder for the student going from Jr. High to High School because here...the stakes are higher.

The past few weeks I have been writing about the differences between the transitions from elementary to junior high school, and then from junior high school to high school. This final article is about the transition from high school to college.

If A is a success in life, then A equals X plus Y plus Z, where X is work, Y is play, and Z is keeping your mouth shut.” -Albert Einstein. This tart statement by no less than Albert Einstein ties in perfectly to this week’s column on when to know the value of keeping one’s mouth shut.

Learning our way around a kitchen is a necessary skill for basic survival, really. While no one needs to become a gourmet cook, learning basic cooking skills and proper nutrition is a valid use of one's time. This can begin at an early age. When my children were about 3 years old, I had them help in the kitchen.

I had the opportunity to interview Spencer Shulem, a young man who has developed two very successful productivity apps for Apple and might just be living proof that the fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree (he’s my son).

This being my last column of the year 2013, I thought it useful to focus on preparing for the New Year by checking in with intentions made last year.