GRIN & BARE IT
Read (and subscribe to) Grin and Bare It, my daily blog on storytelling, productivity, current events, teaching, my family, and other musings.
I have been posting to this blog every day since 2005.
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“The compliment sandwich” is stupid.
I was offering feedback on the client’s upcoming keynote. I began by pointing out something she had done well. Before I could make my next Read More
Killing time in the return
Last year, consumers in the United States returned $743 billion worth of merchandise, which amounts to 14.5 percent of all things purchased. That’s an increase Read More
Collect, believe, and wait until the time is right
In just over a month, I’ll celebrate 20 years of posting on my blog without ever missing a day. That’s 7,304 consecutive days of finding Read More
Blue zones are filled with liars and cheats
Perhaps you’ve heard about the so-called “blue zones”—locations where humans are more likely to live longer due to lifestyle, diet, and other factors. Blue zones Read More
“Matt and Jeni Are Unprepared” – Take 3
On Friday night, my friend and fellow storyteller Jeni Bonaldo and I performed our third installment of “Matt and Jeni Are Unprepared” — a storytelling Read More
The only thing I could do
I’m sitting in seat H1 as the lights come up for intermission for “Jekyll and Hyde” at the Hartford Stage. Mr. Hyde has just committed Read More
I found the helpers
Wednesday was a difficult day for me. Difficult for many people, I suspect. I only slept two or three hours before rising around 3:30, having Read More
Embrace optimism
In 1973, a man wrote to E.B. White, lamenting that he had lost faith in humanity. The author was not only a masterful letter writer but Read More
The little things. Today, especially.
Back in the spring of 2017, Elysha decided we needed cats. “I need to pet a cat,” she declared. Given the political climate at the Read More
Ideal keyboard design for the inefficient typist
Since I spend a good portion of my day on a keyboard, its design is important, especially the specific placement of the keys. I have Read More
We forget the terrors of the past
In 1976, three armed men kidnapped 26 California children and their school bus driver. They brought them to the desert and ordered them into what Read More
Disastrous beginning. Otherwise brilliant.
A friend recommended this talk to me, which is admittedly in my wheelhouse because it deals with two things I know well: McDonald’s and existential Read More
Grace seems a little ridiculous
Possible hot take — meaning you might not love this idea: The United Nations estimates that more than 10,000 children die from hunger and related Read More
Resolution update: October 2024
Every month, I report the progress of my yearly goals to monitor progress (or the lack thereof) and hold myself accountable. The following are the Read More
A big, happy, forgotten party
On April 14, 1971, my great-grandparents celebrated their 50th wedding jubilee. I learned this thanks to the newspaper. Someone sent me the article from The Read More
Matt’s Rules of the World
If I were ruler of the world, I would immediately enact the following laws to improve the quality of life for all of humankind: 1. Read More
No one has anything in common anymore
According to recent survey data from YouTube Insights, 43 percent of Gen Z audiences are in a fandom that nobody in their personal life has Read More
“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” returns
One of the best gifts you can give another person is opening the door to something new and glorious. Elysha, for example, convinced me years Read More
Three things that make my heart soar
Three things that make my heart soar: When someone on social media says, “You’re stupid!” to me but uses “your” instead of “you’re.” When someone Read More
Alice in Wonderland sucks
Have you ever read Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland? I attempted to read it last year and eventually quit, finding it as indiscernible as Virginia Woolf. Read More
