I found a good reminder for myself. Something that I was doing that I shared with my online world a few years ago that maybe will help you, too. Here’s the context: I was working part time, teaching band. The schedule was brutal, many of the classes were brutal, and there was very little professional … Read more
A meme crossed my path. All caps, lots of colors — the kind of design I might be into… YOU DID NOT WAKE UP TODAY TO BE AVERAGE I have a couple of thoughts about that. 1. Math. 2. Maybe you did. By definition, we can’t all be above average. If we’re using the math-based … Read more
(If you missed the original post/project details, you can find it here.) Kids have been off and on with the sticky notes. I have needed to replenish them a time or two, but most seem to have chosen a couple, stuck them in their music binder, and not messed with them again. Earlier this week, … Read more
Apologies. We tend not to be good at them. We tend to force children to mutter them insincerely. We get in the habit of muttering them insincerely, if we mutter them at all. The first place I heard an excellent, clear explanation of what an apology should be was in Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture at … Read more
Individual stories are where real emotional power lies. I mean, that 3,000 people were killed is quite something. That millions were killed in WWII is staggering. They’re numbers. They’re big numbers. They’re easy to wield, hard to comprehend. “A single death is a tragedy. A million deaths is a statistic.” Stories? Those are where power … Read more
Well … I didn’t take any pictures this week. Not with the Nikon. I told you about the course I joined. Well, I didn’t watch a lesson last week. I didn’t take pictures last week. I didn’t run last week. (I did lift and climb, though.) I didn’t get enough sleep or eat very well … Read more
As a person who grew up on the straight and narrow with impressively judgmental parents, there are some things that have taken time for me to stop judging. (There are others I’m still working on…) Some brilliant advice I read somewhere a long time ago: instead of seeing or hearing about someone/something and saying, “that’s … Read more
Freedom of speech is a right protected by the First Amendment. I’ve seen many people reply (in appropriate contexts) that freedom of speech is protected but freedom from consequences of said speech is not. It’s a good point. But the other day, I heard this reply, which I found equally compelling. The context was in … Read more
Thanksgiving. Natural disasters. Christmas. Man-made disasters. Toys. Food. Clothes. Household items. Socks. Diapers. Toiletries. There are always people in need. There are times when, as an outsider, it seems more dire. And so, we have stuff drives. My request to you—and it’s definitely not an original to me—is to be mindful with your donations. The … Read more
On the freeway the other night, I saw a car fire on the opposite side. The freeway is flat and straight. The sun had long since set. The flames were visible from quite a distance. An SUV was engulfed in flames. Police were on the scene. People who had presumably been riding in the SUV … Read more