What happens when I try to be “good” all the time
Hint: Being “good” is exhausting, and has nothing to do with “doing unto others”
Major Work: We were “Sputnik’s Children” – until “streaming” became a bad word
“Major Work” was the response when the Cold War called for educators to focus on “the brightest and the best”
Thanksgiving 2025: Gratitude for the big stuff
A couple of weeks ago, I posted about the little things I’m thankful for. Today, it's gratitude for the big stuff.
Striped bass I caught off the Northumberland shore behind our place in early October 2025
Fishing for the ‘Big One’? Forget it – any size catch will do
No one ever taught me how to fish. And to say, “I know what I’m doing” with a fishing rod in my hand these days would be pushing it.
What you lose when you ignore ceremony and ritual
We crave the structure, meaning, and community that marking passages and occasions through ceremony and ritual gives us
Faraday Elementary “mini-reunion” of classmates from Grades 4–6 in 1968–71, with author in red
The value of reconnecting in our ‘last quarter’
When I suggested to everyone at our "mini-reunion" that, at this age, reconnecting with our respective pasts felt important, everyone nodded in eager agreement.
Simple pleasures: A bulwark against the bigger, shitty stuff
Here’s my list of 10 little things that fight through the fog and give me joy.
Regular mail: A new (old) way of communicating
I sent off the first written letter the other day, and it was interesting how I couldn’t get my mind wrapped around the non-immediacy of it, relative to sending an e-mail.
Full Steam Ahead or Quiet Contentment?
For some, life in the “last quarter’ is a series of endless adventures – “full steam ahead” – whether it be travelling to all points on the compass, learning a new language, or even starting a new business. For others, it may be something simpler...
Conversation: The overlooked truths about what makes it good
Some say that good conversation has gone by the wayside in the digital age. I’m not sure that there was that much good conversation happening in the first place.