"The fault... is not in our stars, but in ourselves." Cassius, Julius Caesar. The Native Hue of Resolution Happy New Year! I hope you didn't think that was the end of it. (If you followed me here from my last post, then you know what I'm talking about. And if you know me, you'd know … Continue reading This New Year, Creating More Teachable Moments (Part 2)
To Be or Not To Be A few weeks ago my students were reading the "To be or not to be..." speech in Hamlet. Virtually everyone knows a part of it, whether they are aware of it or not. It's one of those things that is so ingrained in our culture that we aren't even … Continue reading After This Year, How Many Teachable Moments Do I Have Left (Part 1)
For the past month, I've seen houses in my neighborhood losing the battle against Early Decoration Syndrome. Christmas has been slowly invading the neighborhood, with a fringe of Hanukkah for good measure. I've decried the unwanted invasion, the insidious nature of the Holidays months before the date actually arrives, the constant barrage of Christmas commercials and … Continue reading This Holiday, Give More Love, Less Stuff
As an educator I take the events that happened in Charlottesville, as well as the removal of statues in Baltimore last night, as an opportunity to educate. So my wife and I took this opportunity to educate my 11-year-old daughter. We had to explain to my 11-year-old what this is about, about Nazis and White … Continue reading Teaching my Daughter Understanding, Charlottesville, and Symbols of the South
As I sit here, sipping my cup of chicken broth, about to undergo yet another cleanse for yet another colonoscopy, I realize how blasé I've become about the whole ordeal. Don't get me wrong, it's not fun. I don't enjoy a whole day of only consuming a clear liquid diet, followed by hours in the … Continue reading My “Bravest” Medical Procedure.
We all have those times in our lives where there is a definitive moment, a life changing realization, where things will never be the same. For many of us, it involves something amazing. Perhaps you found God or religion in the unlikeliest of places. My pet sitter found Buddhism in my bathroom once when I … Continue reading Life Changing Moments are Overrated Anyway
Background A few months ago a writer's group I all too infrequently get to attend (shout out to my lads and ladies at Pints and Prose) issued their first writing challenge: take the following prompt and write a story less than 3000 words using it. The prompt was, "Someone walks into their house and it’s … Continue reading Reality Bites
