Essays

November 2025 — We give thanks this month with “Nonviolence,” an award-winning essay by high school student Shay Jackson entitled, “Living the Dream”

Nonviolence has been seen as a weak or passive approach to resolving conflicts. However, Cesar Chavez’s quote, “Nonviolence is not inaction. It is not a discussion. It is not for the timid or weak. Nonviolence is hard work. It is the willingness to sacrifice. It is the patience to win, ” contradicts these views. This quote shows the demanding nature of nonviolence, highlighting courage, sacrifice, and perseverance. To fully understand and appreciate the quote, we must explore the meaning, understand the life of Ceasar Chavez, and explore the fight for nonviolence.

This quote shows that nonviolence is far from the weak or passive stereotype. Chavez states that nonviolence is not only about avoiding physical confrontations or endless conversations but instead, it’s also about engagement and willingness to tackle injustice face to face.  Nonviolence requires courage and bravery beyond physical strength. It involves moral and emotional resilience. It consists of the willingness to endure suffering and the patience to persist in difficulty. Those who want to practice nonviolence should be prepared to work hard and exercise great patience. Patience plays a key role in practicing nonviolence. To maintain peace, you need to be patient and control negative feelings of hate and anger.

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“Change is Normal: Part 2” by Timothy Trainer, IP attorney and author

“A simple question that is often asked is one of the most difficult and puzzling for me,” says IP attorney, author, and proud Army Brat Timothy Trainer. “What’s your hometown (a different version of this is: where did you grow up)? Hmm, that’s a good question. How should I answer that? I used to hesitate before answering. It took many, many years, meaning decades, before I settled on a pat answer that never explained very much. I would answer by saying that my father was in the military, so we moved a lot.” Read more about it!

Change is Normal: Part 1, by Timothy Trainer

IP attorney, author, and proud Army Brat Timothy Trainer says of his time growing up in the military: “Every place we live is temporary. Every school we attend is temporary, which means we have friends for short periods of time. In our environment, our friends drop into the neighborhood and school from different places. It’s possible that the new kid arriving mid-semester on a Wednesday might have just come from Germany, Japan, or Italy. It’s also possible that they just moved from Texas, California, Missouri, Kentucky, or one of the Carolinas.” Read more about it, and don’t miss Part 2!