As a person estranged from my family of origin, I’ve been told many times that I am obligated to be in contact or spend holidays or whatever because they’re family and there are things that you overlook or put up with because they’re family. (I wonder how the family sounds in your head compared to … Read more
As a beginning band teacher, I often heard people say that my students didn’t need instruments of good quality because the kids didn’t know how to play anyway. That’s exactly why they need good quality. Because they don’t know what they’re doing, they have no skills to compensate for deficiencies in the instrument. They don’t … Read more
My conversation with Debra on Ordinary Chaos, included some talk about child sex trafficking or the sex slave trade. Between that and some statistics she gave on domestic violence, I felt it appropriate to put a warning at the beginning of the episode and also to mark it explicit in my podcast hosting service. Many … Read more
A disclaimer to kick off today’s thoughts: More often than not, I get stuck while I’m writing because so much is not at all black and white. There aren’t any rules, really, that apply to all people in all situations. But writing becomes muddy and hard to read when it is full of exceptions and … Read more
In yesterday’s episode of Ordinary Chaos, Chris talked about wanting his writing to make a difference to people, whether he made money on it or not. He’s not alone in this wish. I took the mic for a moment to tell listeners—and now I’m telling you, readers—if you are consuming content made by someone else … Read more
Variations on a meme go around every now and then, and I saw it again recently: Without relentlessly criticizing, could we let people have their pumpkin spice, and avocado toast, and their fandoms, and their D&D, and their too-early-Halloween decorations, and whatever little harmless things in which they’ve managed to find a tiny shriveled flower … Read more
The big news recently has been about Simone Biles’ decision to pull out of the team gymnastics final. I’ve had the opportunity to read several thoughtful pieces written by people in support of Biles’ decision, and I’ve learned a lot. I had no issue with her decision without knowing the things I’ve learned. She knows … Read more
It’s been a while since a podcast smacked me hard enough to write about it, but this one had at least half a dozen moments that caught my attention. I hadn’t listened to Armchair Expert in a while and was scrolling through missed episodes to see if any jumped out at me. There’s a 10-episode … Read more
I’ve read and talked and written and lived a lot of “it’s the little things that matter”—in general, in creating and maintaining habits, in relationships with partners, friends, coworkers, kids. There’s so much truth in it. If we only focus on the big things, we miss so much opportunity, growth, love. So many delightful details … Read more
I have a document where I save my current writing: complete pieces, incomplete pieces, complete but not going to publish pieces, and a slew of ideas for pieces-to-be. When I settle in to write, if I don’t already have something in mind to write about, I will refer to the unfinished pieces or the list … Read more