Posts by Calvert F Cazier, PhD, MPH

In the spring of 1953, I participated in the “Great Kindergarten Escape.” Besides me, two other friends, Scott Nield and Roger Cazier, were also involved.   I don’t remember who came up with the idea, but I do remember that the entire class was on a bathroom break before we were supposed to lie down…

On February 28, 2008, I recorded the following experience in the journal I was keeping as a requirement for my qualitative research professor. My professor and I had been discussing the introduction to the first chapter of my dissertation. I told her about the high school counselor who told me I wasn’t smart enough to…

Several years ago, my wife and I were visiting our son and his family who were living in Germany at the time. Traditionally when we visited, we took a family trip and spent a week or so visiting another part of Europe. On this particular trip, we decided to visit Spain, which included a visit…

For years I have envied people who could sing or dance or play an instrument. In my lifetime I have tested my abilities and discovered that music is just not part of my DNA.    Several years ago, I discovered that even though I have no sense of rhythm whatsoever, I have a bit of…

This is an annual post so those who have read it before, I hope you enjoy and still feel the specialness of this story.   Our Christmas arrived two days early in 1982 and it turned out to be the best Christmas my family and I ever had. It was about 10:30 in the morning,…

Kenny was loved and admired by all of us in the neighborhood. He lived next door to me, and our houses were so close that as a teenager I could and would jump from my roof onto his roof and run around a bit before jumping back onto my own and climbing down.   Neither…

Several years ago, I was actively involved as a youth leader with the Boy Scouts of America. I have a vivid memory of a conversation I had with a teenage boy, Richard, about the value to him of finishing the requirements for his Eagle Scout Award. I believed scouting had a tremendous effect in the…