Having a process to repair harm is really important.

Often times, the process of participating in a Circle or Community Conference means a lot to community members and victims attending.  I am often times impressed with how having the discussion, removes a great deal of weight in the room.  Weight off the shoulders of the offender, for the harm caused.  Weight off of the [...]

Overcoming the feedback that I couldn’t write a story.

One of my college dreams was to be a TV news reporter.  It was maybe my 2nd or 3rd major in college, and I felt “at home” as a Mass Comm (communications) major.

I wanted to be the talented, smart and pretty woman in front of the camera.  I worked really hard at writing and developing [...]

When you want a relationship to be different it is.

I asked boyfriend where my anxiety went.  He said it ran off with his fear.
We had a good laugh. 
We both agreed those two, fear and anxiety running off together, helped us be in the relationship we have now.  The picture that popped in my head was two cartoon characters holding hands and running side-by-side off into [...]

Examples of stories, and the power of story.

I love my kid.  She’s 17 and a senior in high school.  She’s my only.  It’s been the two of us.  One of our special things, is my work.  She was in her first circle at 9 years old.  I held a girls circle for almost a year, her and a few other teen girls.  [...]

Being a good Circlekeeper is about facilitating your own disappearance.

A few years ago, I was kind of dating someone and I just stopped calling and emailing him.  A few weeks later I got an angry email, suggesting I go to Vegas with my “disappearing” act.
I still do a great disappearing act, now it’s just in Restorative Justice Circle process.
A ‘circlekeeper’ is the person, or [...]

Antenna’s are a good thing! Dealing with interpersonal conflict.

An antenna is a transducer designed to transmit or receive electromagnetic waves.  (so says Wikipedia).
I’m talking about social and emotional antenna’s.  But think transducer is a great comparision.  Electromagnetic waves are invisible and so are emotions.  Social climate is invisible and really impacts the attract/repulse mode in people – just like two magnetic poles, attracting [...]

If you really want to make a difference, work on your work ethic. Make your work your purpose.

My daughter and I had the airport shuttle all to ourselves.  The driver’s name was Bo.  My daughter had finally stopped giving me dirty looks for conversing with our drivers. 
We had a shuttle driver on the way to the hotel and three cab drivers while visiting Boise.  She was used to me practicing conversation skills, [...]

Back from a break, inhale, exhale . . . circles go round and round.

I am just back from an awesome vacation!  I took off the end of last week and the beginning of this week.  I traveled back to South Dakota, to the family farm.  We celebrated my Dad’s 70th birthday.  Most of the weekend was a surprise to him.  My stepMom, really did it up, getting a [...]

The really Restorative Mantra . . . Judge None.

Judge None.
Two very simple words.  I like to play around and develop catch phrases for Restorative Jusitce.  I try to keep my “elevator speech” fresh and I try to keep a good batch of Restorative Jusitce “bumper stickers” handy.  About 6 months ago I came up with Judge None as a concept point.  I was [...]

Are you failing at anything . . .

“Failure is NOT an option.”
I used to say that, all the time.  Some movie line, it really showed how committed I was.  I think I’ve gotten softer over time.  It really used to be My-way, or My-way.  I didn’t waste much time with a highway.  I know, I sound like a hardcore Marine.  Maybe it [...]