What I See and Dare to Believe
I finally shared a draft of my novel with some other humans last week! I immediately regretted it. Then I decided I didn’t regret it. And then I concluded that this 62,000-word project I’ve been pouring all of myself into for the past 9 months was a bunch of junk. But it was still good I wrote it. […]
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Last weekend, I started thinking about heaven. Not even because it was Easter weekend, but just because of life. There are certain moments when I feel a deep heaviness––it’s difficult to comprehend later, in the normal moments––but I would describe it as a truly horrible feeling, the sort of emotional breakdown that leads either to personal implosion or a deeper grasp of life’s […]
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Yesterday was the first day of Spring, and today I really felt it. What perfect weather! I recently dropped a bunch of money on a bike––a decent one, according to my friends who know about these things––and I figured I should take it out for its first spin today. I should get over my paranoia about breaking […]
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Cheating I caught one of my students cheating yesterday. Well, a student in the following class caught her. The girl had written the longest vocabulary word on her test (delicious) on her desk and left it plain as day for the next student who used that desk to see. Not the most subtle technique. But even though the truth […]
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Although I have no desire to see The Revenant, I love that Leonardo DiCaprio finally won his Oscar and I loved the last sentence of his acceptance speech: “I do not take tonight for granted.” It got me thinking about how easy it is to take things for granted. To feel entitled. To long and hope for […]
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Sometimes things just don’t go my way. The bus driver doesn’t stop for me. The local store runs out of my favorite cereal. My kids come to class acting like they just did shots of espresso. Sometimes even bigger things happen…
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As a classical pianist, I learned how to put everything on the line. It was an extremely valuable experience. Back then, my identity was wrapped up in performing, so going up on that stage felt like risking everything. It was terrifying. Which is why I can look back on those experiences with so much exhilaration. I learned […]
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On Monday, I returned to work after a two-week vacation. I love returning to places after vacation. Everything feels so fresh. The time away gives you space to miss people, to miss the routine. Despite one student’s “No hello, Teacher” greeting on Monday, I couldn’t help feeling all warm inside as I welcomed the kids back. There was one student, however, I was slightly apprehensive about seeing…
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