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A strong opinion on the onion volcano

I’m just going to say it: The onion volcano that a chef creates at a traditional hibachi restaurant is seriously overrated.  Flammable oil poured into a stack of concentric onions rings and lit on fire? Had I done something similar to this at Scout camp (and I did), I’d be holding fire buckets for at…

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Desperately seeking trouble

Our new cat, Tobi, is desperate to find as much trouble as possible. He routinely opens cabinets and climbs inside. I’ve found him under the sink, squeezed between the posts and pans, and amongst the plates and bowls.  It’s frustrating, but at least it’s not dangerous.  I can’t say this about all the places I…

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Bad day

Sometimes it seems as if the universe has conspired to assure you have a very bad day. 

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I made an old woman cry. Was I wrong?

I’m standing in line at McDonald’s, waiting patiently to order my daily Egg McMuffin. The woman in front of me is having a problem. She’s an old lady in the truest sense of the word. She’s as crooked as a question mark and is holding a cane. She’s ordered a “Big Breakfast Egg McMuffin” and…

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Demanding “a seat at the table” doesn’t strike me as very demanding

I recently heard someone arguing for “a seat at the table” for the members of her organization.   “A seat at the table” has always struck me as the marginal end of what you should be striving for if you’re hoping to affect change. Nothing wrong with it, but oftentimes not exactly a game changer, either. …

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I don’t teach mindfulness. Don’t ever accuse me of teaching mindfulness. Here’s why.

When I teach storytelling, and especially when I teach about finding stories in your life, I’m often told by students that what I’m really teaching is mindfulness. When I hear that word, I want to toss the person right out of my workshop. I push back immediately, rejecting any application of that word to what…

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The law of choice in dating (and a call for the end of tribalism)

I’ve been thinking about how tribalism can be so limiting when it comes to finding and choosing the right spouse. When you choose to be inclusive to a particular sex, religion, race, nationality, or socio-economic status, you eliminate vast swaths of human beings from your dating pool.   I don’t think this is good.  The…

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Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend fan art

Illustration of Budo, Max, and Graham from Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend, drawn by Stephanie at Manchester High School during a recent visit to talk about my Nutmeg Award nominated novel 

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The essence of a New England Patriots fan and a Bostonian in 5 tweets.

This is a beautiful story. If you ever lived in Massachusetts, and especially in the greater Boston area, this will ring so true. People in the Boston area are hardcore.   It’s Marathon Monday in Boston. As the runners make their way along the race route, a man stands on the side of the road,…

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School lunch shaming needs to stop. Simple solution: Adults need to stop acting despicable.

As a kid who received free breakfast and lunch for his entire childhood, I am keenly aware of the stigma, embarrassment, and shame associated with not having enough money to feed yourself. As a child, teachers took the daily lunch count by asking us to raise our hand if we were: Buying hot lunchBuying cold…

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