"A word after a word after a word is power." - Margaret Atwood
Parenting Via Text – How Micro Conversations Keep Me Connected With My Kids
When my kids left for college, I had many moments of panic that we would soon be down to the obligatory once a week phone call where we would engage in 10 minutes of small talk, and I would be more or less disconnected from their lives as they grew into their lives as adults.… Continue reading Parenting Via Text – How Micro Conversations Keep Me Connected With My Kids
Feed Kittens, Not Trolls
I’ve heard of comment sections referred to as the sewer of the Internet. Honestly I like browsing comment sections to look for additional information, divergent viewpoints, and sometimes thoughtful commentary. But inevitably, the trolls will be there, gleefully triggering strangers with their inflammatory statements, misinformation, and poor writing skills. Often these trolls have 50, 80,… Continue reading Feed Kittens, Not Trolls
We Are Not Soldiers
This week I was told that in an active shooter situation, I should get my students to safety, barricade my doors and then stand to the side of the door so that I could engage and possibly disarm an active shooter. It wasn't bad advice, and I trust the source of the advice. I agree… Continue reading We Are Not Soldiers
The Day of the Dumpster, Part II
Within a day or two, they were starting to come around. The first one here was Johnny, coming to pick up his son Noah, whom I had taken home from his soccer game. “Where is it?” he asked. You might think that no one could possible miss a dumpster sitting in the middle of a… Continue reading The Day of the Dumpster, Part II
The DumpsterVerse
I was recently cleaning out my garage and came across a folder containing pieces that my daughter had written for her seventh grade writing portfolio. I took a quick break to thumb through them and came upon this poem: The Dumpster I’ll always remember the day I wanted to play In the dumpster all day.… Continue reading The DumpsterVerse
The Ever Present Conundrum of the Thing That Still Works
Hearken, if you will, back to the vacuum story. One day in my parents’ house, the vacuum zombie invasion finally came to a head. Looking around the house, I counted a wet vac, a canister vac, three used uprights, a handheld steam vac, two handheld regular vacs, two upright steam vacs, and a brand new… Continue reading The Ever Present Conundrum of the Thing That Still Works
How a Potato Masher Becomes a Nemesis
We’ve all been there. We have decided to do a clean-out. We are knee deep in drawers, closets, and cabinets, and we are feeling weak. Suddenly, something catches our eye. It’s a piece of a vacuum, an old can of paint, an umbrella stand. Suddenly we are overwhelmed by anxiety. Do I keep it or… Continue reading How a Potato Masher Becomes a Nemesis
