Archive for 2020

The Pope, and therefore the Catholic Church, has endorsed civil unions between same-sex couples. Maybe. There is some controversy over the intent of his endorsement, but it seems like it might be a move in the right direction. Don’t get me wrong. The Pope is still a bigot. On any number of occasions, Pope Francis…

My daughter, Clara, was on fire last night. After Elysha mentioned that one of her students is having trouble accepting that one person might get something while another might not, Clara said, with all sincerity, “I think she would really like Communism.” Clara began studying Communism in social studies this week. I was thrilled to…

I don’t mind the change of seasons in New England. In fact, I kind of love it. I enjoy the variation of landscape and temperature. I appreciate the anticipation of one season beyond the next. I adore the way a crisp autumn day or a hot, breezy summer afternoon can feel so precious because you…

Charlie and I learned to paddle board this past summer. It was one of the many highlights of this past summer. Paddling around the lake with Charlie perched at the front of the board was a perfect way to spend a summer afternoon. It was during our second or third time on a paddle board,…

I watched the 1991 animated classic Beauty and the Beast with the family for the first time last night. Interesting film. Young girl suffering from Stockholm Syndrome falls in love with her captor despite never actually knowing his name. Weird. Why didn’t anyone ever tell me that this is the story of mental illness? Also…

My friend asked me to play golf after school this week. Though nothing sounded better, I had schedule a parent-teacher conference for that same afternoon, so I had to pass. It killed me. The meeting proved to be productive. We sat at an outdoor table at a safe distance – parents, student, and myself –…

Listening to comedian Tig Notaro on a recent podcast, she expressed insecurity over failing to complete high school. She worries that there are large gaps in her knowledge base because she left high school early and instead earned a GED. I wanted to jump through my headphones and let Tig know that she has nothing…

My son is somehow becoming cooler and better dressed than me. I’m not sure how I feel about this.

Here’s how McDonald’s did it: Even though I eat an Egg McMuffin almost every day, and even though I managed McDonald’s restaurants for more than a decade, I did not have the McDonald’s app on my phone. I’ve downloaded the Chipotle app. The Panera app. The Way Back Burger app. The Dominos and Shake Shack…

After more than two decades in the classroom, I can say with confidence that this particular school year has been more challenging than most. There are lots of little things that make it challenging. Things like trying to speak loud enough and articulately enough to be heard through a mask. Listening closely enough to hear…