A couple decades ago, my AP English class read Dylan Thomas’ “A Child’s Christmas in Wales,” and I challenged them to write a piece in that style. They insisted that I do that assignment, too; we read their stories aloud over a couple of days before the holidays, and without exception, it was some of the best writing I’ve read.
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-14 to Christmas Eve “Photographs and memories, Christmas cards you’ve sent to me…” That Jim Croce line runs through my mind often during the holidays (Yes, I know it’s a song about a break up. “Jolly” is not a word that usually is associated with the random things I remember.) I was in middle school when I saved babysitting money
Read more-15 to Christmas Eve: Out of Chaos,…what? Good intentions–you know what those lead to? My plan was simple, even elegant: I would gather all the boxes and bags of Christmas decorations and paraphernalia from the basement, my extra bedroom, and wherever else I’d stashed them, into my living room for a judgement day. What do I want to keep, where
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Right now, I should be entering grades, writing (very late) lesson plans, and designing the final exams that I will be giving the week after next; in order to put together study guides, I need to know what’s on the exam, and with graduation next weekend, I’m not going to even attempt to tell myself that I’ll put together the
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I’ve been thinking about this for a few weeks, but whenever I considered concrete action…well…this is my first move towards action. As I considered my eating habits, and my exercise (non)habit, and all the issues swirling around the general area of my life involving self-discipline and making good choices (money and time are connected here, too), I hit on two
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A few years ago, a student at my school was the victim of a devastating house fire. Upon learning that the student, an avid reader, lost her bookshelf of favorite titles, teachers combed their personal libraries and local bookstores in hopes of surprising the teen with a replenished bookshelf. The cause of the fire was old, faulty wiring—the only blame
Read more2021 NOTE: When I wrote this, I had no idea (obviously) what would be happening a few years later. I can barely remember the specific issues, candidates, and conversations that spurred this post. It is just that we should be grateful, not only to those with whose views we may agree, but also to those who have expressed more superficial
Read moreNote: I wrote this in 2012; I’m surprised by how much of it I still agree with. Two days ago was Veteran’s Day. Yesterday Billy Owens’ birthday. In my mind, those are connected. Billy was a student in my epic AP class close to a decade ago. He wasn’t the usual AP student, but he wanted a shot and worked
Read moreIf you don’t dust, it will be waiting for you later. You’re not listening if you’re mentally disagreeing while the other person talks. Sitting under a tree looking at a body of water is better for your soul than a sermon. Washing dark clothes with whites does not cause the apocalypse. As the members of each generation die, the next
Read moreThe longest hours of my life were the couple times I went to prayer meeting with Grandma. I was young, not more than eight or nine, and I have gauzy memories of sitting quietly in a small-town living room littered with lace doilies, surrounded by serious women wearing hats, dresses and semi-sensible shoes. Not their fancy Sunday hats, of course–this
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The Wave Returns 