Inkandescent Kids Story of the Day

Dylan Gibbs tells us, “How Boy Scouts Saved My Life”

By Dylan Zane Glenwood Gibbs, Awritten at age 11 (and in 2025, a graduate of Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design)

September 1, 2010: This summer, I learned some big lessons about the perils of catching grapes in my mouth, the importance of knowing first aid, and what an amazing dad I have.

It happened in August when my dad and I went on a biking and camping trip with two of my best friends and their fathers. Our mission was to bike at least 25 miles along the C&O Canal towpath, camp overnight, and bike back the next day as part of our Boy Scout cycling merit badge.

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

A Note from Shay Jackson, from her essay, “Nonviolence” — There have been many successful nonviolent movements throughout history. One of the most well-known was the Indian Independence Movement, led by the notable Mahatma Gandhi, another famous civil rights activist. The movement used nonviolent resistance to end British colonial rule in India. Another important movement was in the United States, with leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr., who advocated for racial equality. They used peaceful protests and civil disobedience. Another nonviolent act was the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia, where the Czechs used nonviolent protests to end Communist rule. These movements show the power of nonviolence. Nonviolence is a significant movement to change.

“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!