Archive for March 2022
Being a Good Teacher
Last week my grandchildren, Maddie and Jack, were in an out-of-school production of Cinderella. My wife, Maddie’s and Jack’s parents, and I were delighted and grateful that first grader Jack’s teacher came to the evening performance, a gift well beyond the call of duty. He was thrilled. She offered congratulations and hugged him warmly before leaving. This…
Read MoreStudents should be picky about their jobs
Despite being responsible for a one-star review at my workplace that states “the little redhead behind the counter is rude,” I am a very good employee. I promise. The cruel reality about customer service jobs is that no matter how good you are at your job, there will always be a handful of customers that…
Read MoreBeing extraordinary is overrated
Ever since things have gone back to almost-but-not-quite normal, I’ve had this overwhelming feeling that I’m not doing enough. It’s almost become a mantra in my head, the words repeating over and over, “You’re not doing enough.” I’ve mentioned the feeling to friends and classmates, and the majority of them have related — each and…
Read MoreMatter over mind: You’ll get out of this what it’s willing to give
As we begin another semester of COVID-19-related uncertainty and instability, it serves us to put things in a less judgmental, self-deprecating perspective for those times when we come up short. One rhetorical trick often used to quash this forgiving perspective is the meritocratic assumption that whatever we do, wherever we are, and however many obstacles…
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