In July, 2024, Gina and I traveled to Minnesota for the first time. The occasion was a special event called The Everything Conference, and it drew artistic and creative people – who happen to be multi-potentialites – from around the world. The attendees were also the content presenters, providing unique perspectives and implementable strategies for a large variety of topics (close to everything!), as varied as the personalities and backgrounds of the folks who attended. It was a sweet week, … [Read more...]
The Legacy Music Project: I’ll Be There with You
August 15, 2025 By 2 Comments
Like the previously released “To Get Next To You,” this song, “I’ll Be There With You,” was written, recorded, and produced after I regained my ability to play guitar (acoustic and electric), write music, write lyrics, and sing after my dementia diagnosis. And, like “To Get,” it came out of my thoughts about the uncertainty of how long I had to live, and/or, how long I would continue to “be myself.” My wife, Gina, would often talk about her beloved grandfather, Bob, who passed in 1996, … [Read more...]
Legacy Music Project: Henry’s Gift
August 8, 2025 By 2 Comments
I am so grateful for the public libraries of this world for allowing people to sample, for free, all kinds of books, music, movies and more. I used to grab five or six CDs every time I went, artists and albums that I knew nothing about, but was intrigued by the song titles, or the band name, or the cover. It’s where I discovered a now favorite band, Explosions in the Sky, which led me to explore an entire genre of instrumental music that I was completely unfamiliar with. All this to say, Gina … [Read more...]
The Legacy Music Project: I’m Still Here
August 4, 2025 By 2 Comments
Shortly after my diagnosis, I started to feel (not necessarily based on reality, but undeniably what I felt) like I was being abandoned, that long-time friends were uncomfortable continuing a relationship with a person with dementia, no matter what stage they were in. Suddenly, people that I’d had ongoing communication with started not communicating. I felt ghosted, and ghost-like. (This concern was recently validated when I was watching a show about the residents of an assisted living facility, … [Read more...]
Bullying prevention program begins at St. Bernard Academy
October 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Ned Andrew Solomon This article first appeared in the Tennessee Register. When you walk into Hannah Dwyer’s fourth level classroom at St. Bernard Academy, your eyes are immediately drawn to the bright red posters on the wall. In bold black letters they read, “Bullying is unBEARable,” punctuated underneath by a bear’s claw – these are the St. Bernard Academy Bears, after all. The claw is followed by a set of four rules, which are the cornerstones of the school’s brand new anti-bullying … [Read more...]
Our Wedding Walk through Glendale’s Labyrinth
August 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment
There’s a beautiful, spiritual spot on Glendale Lane in Nashville. It’s a labyrinth, which sits beside a lovely little sanctuary: the Glendale United Methodist Church. Passersby may not notice it, nestled as it is on the left side, surrounded by trees. I never did, as many times as I’ve driven down Glendale Lane on one of my favorite back routes to Franklin Road. Once acquainted with it, the labyrinth began to play a significant role in my life. For those of you unfamiliar with labyrinths, … [Read more...]
High School Graduate Turns Ugandan Trip into a Mission to Educate the Poor
August 7, 2011 By 4 Comments
By Ned Andrew Solomon This article originally appeared in The Tennessee Register. Some kids want to be Michael Jordan when they grow up. Katie Davis, a recent graduate of Ravenwood High School in Brentwood, wanted to be Mother Teresa. “My grandmother and my mom always liked her,” said Davis. “So whenever we had to do a book report on the biography of a famous person, I’d choose her.” Her parents accepted Davis’ future plans with a typical grain of salt, but their daughter never … [Read more...]
Put on a Happy Face!
August 6, 2011 By 6 Comments
How many of you remember Dick Van Dyke singing and dancing to Put on a Happy Face in the original film version of Bye Bye Birdie? I do. In an effort to cheer up a friend who’s “down in the dumps”, he encourages her to “spread sunshine all over the place, just put on a happy face!” When I’m in a great mood, I guess I can’t help but smile. When I’m walking through my day, passing total strangers on the street on the walk from my car to the office, or from my office to the car, or from my office … [Read more...]
Happy Connections
August 5, 2011 By 6 Comments
Where better to seek out happiness than in making spontaneous connections with other human beings? It’s a favorite pastime of mine. Going up or down in the elevator. Waiting on line at the post office or grocery store. Sure, you could just stand there and feel awkward, or bemoan the fact that the line isn’t moving any faster, or that there’s only one postal clerk window or check-out lane open at lunchtime…or…you could pass the time agreeably with the person in front of or behind you. Go on, make … [Read more...]
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