A lack of curiosity? Or something else?
My family and I were recently on vacation in San Francisco. During our trip, we attended lectures in the Muir Woods – a forest of redwood trees – and Alcatraz…
Charlie catches a humpy!
A few weeks ago, while visiting friends on Whidbey Island on the west coast, Charlie went fishing in the ocean for the first time. After fishing for about an hour…
My morning with Gus
I played golf yesterday morning with an 83-year-old guy named Gus before our school district's convocation. I'd never met him before, but I caught up to him on the second…
Speak kindly, thoughtfully, and wisely to yourself
Today, I begin my 25th year of teaching. Summer has come to a close, which isn't easy. As much as I love my job, I admittedly enjoy the long, relatively…
My “prison look”
A few years ago, I was working with formerly incarcerated men who now work in public schools, connected and supporting teenagers in hopes of helping them avoid the same mistakes…
Shortcomings and Flaws 2023
More than a decade ago, a reader accused me of being materialistic after I wrote about my lack of a favorite number, specifically criticizing me for saying that when it…
Charlie is obsessed with setback
While on vacation in San Fransisco, I taught Charlie how to play setback. Also known as pitch or high-low-jack. Not surprisingly, he took to the game as quickly as he…
This guy is a jerk
Kansas resident Lee Wilson planted 80 acres of sunflowers as a 50th-anniversary gift for his wife. A total of 1.2 million sunflowers. He did all of this without his wife's…
Mean mommy at Alcatraz
While visiting Alcatraz, we took an audio tour around the prison, narrated by former correctional officers and inmates. At the beginning of the audio tour, it was made explicitly clear…
Obscurity begone
I received a text message from my friend, Heather, yesterday. "Have you listened to this yet?" she asked and attached a link to "Perhaps," the new Guns N' Roses song.…
