Fanning the Fires of Youthful Imagination
Judy Blume's novels and the likes of "To Kill a Mockingbird" shaped my world. These stories, now often challenged, underscore the ongoing fight for the freedom to read and grow.
Read MoreNo Comment: The Unpopular Art of Holding Your Tongue
In a world quick to judge and quicker to comment, I learned the hard way about the power of pause. Sometimes, silence is the most fashionable statement we can make.
Read MoreUrban Legend
My dad was a great storyteller. Even though he was a little shy with strangers, he loved to spin a good yarn from time to time with his family. His best tales were stories about Chicago. But my favorite story was how he came into his chili recipe.
Read MoreWeeding the Garden
That’s the thing about hate.
It starts off innocently enough, the tiniest sapling. You think you can ignore it, so you do. It doesn’t seem so dangerous, really. Maybe it’s not your problem. Someone else will take care of it. Then suddenly, there’s no light. And there’s no sign of what grew there before. The roots now run deep. It will take some sweat to claim back our garden.
Read MoreI, Phone: My Dysfunctional Digital Life
I checked in everywhere. I posted witty updates and tag friends and places. I quoted insightful articles. I was in the maelstrom of social media, and I reveled in the connectivity, the community of it all. I loved it.
Until I didn’t.
Read MoreBeyond the Call of Duty
Teachers dedicate their lives to our children. Because it’s what they do, what they have always done. But now we literally expect them to lay down their lives for our children. We are asking too much.
Read MoreLiketyLikeLikeLike
We all want to be liked, even powerful, strong people have that basic human need for approval at some level. But not everyone has public polling numbers following them around to remind them of their ‘failure’ in this regard.
Read MoreSum of Our Fears
I didn’t want to write about this, today or any day.
Read MoreWhy It Matters
Why did I have to change my behavior to avoid him when I was simply trying to do my job?
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