Disney and the Imagineers Bring Us to Tears

Disney and the Imagineers Bring Us to Tears
After writing an article about being brought to tears on the Flight of Passage ride at Walt Disney World and anticipating some “big boys don’t cry” feedback, I was amazed that what I got was exactly the opposite. Now, of course, admitting to crying on a ride was not easy, especially a Disney one. And,... Read more »
By James Warda,
April 29, 2021 at 9:53 am • 

A Coincidental Conversation about “Jesus Christ Superstar” (and more) with Ted Neeley

A Coincidental Conversation about “Jesus Christ Superstar” (and more) with Ted Neeley
[This interview has been edited for length and clarity.] How it all began I should have known. In preparing to interview Ted Neeley about the release of SuperstarS – Extended Version, a documentary about the making of the 1973 film version of Jesus Christ Superstar, I thought about all the coincidences that had led me... Read more »
By James Warda,
April 6, 2021 at 2:45 pm • 

A Coincidental Conversation about Codependency (and more) with Ross Rosenberg

Funny how things work, isn’t it? How coincidences so often are anything but? Like recently, when I came across a YouTube video by Ross Rosenberg, a psychotherapist, author, speaker, and trainer, among other roles. I was out for a run, listening to videos (yes, I know, I used to listen to Led Zeppelin while working... Read more »
By James Warda,
March 29, 2021 at 2:46 pm • 
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Led Zeppelin and Loyola: It's time to ramble on

Led Zeppelin had it right. It’s time to ramble on.Loyola University Chicago makes a promise − “to prepare people to lead extraordinary lives.” Having taught there and graduated from there in the 80s (or, as I tell my students, “before electricity”), I have seen that promise come true again and again.And that’s why it’s so... Read more »
By James Warda,
March 26, 2021 at 10:49 am • 

Disney World turned this Chicago man into a five-year-old boy

Disney World turned this Chicago man into a five-year-old boy
Disney World recently turned me into a five-year-old again. We were visiting my son in Orlando, and I was finally going to go on “Rise of the Resistance” and “Flight of Passage.” I’m not going to talk about the rides themselves, because I really do believe that everyone who wants to — should have the... Read more »
By James Warda,
March 5, 2021 at 2:47 pm • 

Born at DePaul University, the band "Chicago" holds the secret to finding our “hook”

Before I wrote this guest blog for Ron Culp, Graduate Professional Program Director of Public Relations and Advertising at DePaul University, for his culpwrit.com site, I had no idea that the band Chicago was born at DePaul and holds the secret to finding our “hook.” _________________________________________________________________________ Contact me at james@jameswarda.com and learn more at jameswarda.com. Comments... Read more »
By James Warda,
March 4, 2021 at 12:33 pm • 
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Do you wanna build a snowman?: How to take the pandemic blues and "let them go"

Do you wanna build a snowman?: How to take the pandemic blues and "let them go"
Do you wanna build a snowman? Here, halfway between Chicago and Milwaukee, or as I like to call it, the “Arctic Circle,” winter has come hard. At first, it teased. Hardly any snow, wind or finger-freezing temperatures. Until now. Which is when the “dog days of winter,” as I like to call them, will spin... Read more »
By James Warda,
February 7, 2021 at 8:28 am • 

"Be safe" − what we're really saying when we say this

"Be safe" − what we're really saying when we say this
I say and hear it often. I’m guessing you do, too. But, sometimes, because it’s usually said quickly and has become almost cliché by now, we can miss it if we’re not paying attention. “Be safe.” When I’m at the store, drive-thru window at a fast-food restaurant, or picking something up at the library, I’ll... Read more »
By James Warda,
January 19, 2021 at 11:04 am • 

"Dear America," a song for all of us on Election Day and beyond

"Dear America," a song for all of us on Election Day and beyond
I’ve been watching our country hurting for so many reasons, and it hurt me to see it. And, somehow, I started seeing the United States as an old friend in pain. Someone I hadn’t talked to in a while. Someone who needed someone. Which is when I wrote the song, Dear America,. It’s for our... Read more »
By James Warda,
November 3, 2020 at 8:41 am • 
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Hitting "the wall" of COVID-19 (and what to do about it)

Hitting "the wall" of COVID-19 (and what to do about it)
I hit the COVID wall. I’m a runner. Kind of. And I run long distances. Sometimes. When running a long-distance race, you’ll typically hit “the wall.” What’s the wall? It’s that place where you just don’t feel like you can go on. When you’ve used up every ohm of energy. When the hills seem steeper and... Read more »
By James Warda,
October 29, 2020 at 12:29 pm •