Learning How to Think Teaching is more than imparting knowledge; it is inspiring change. Learning is more than absorbing facts; it is acquiring understanding. William Arthur Ward During my second semester of college, I took Honors English with Professor Baliani. He was warm and enthusiastic, and he helped me adjust the lens through which I … More Shadows, Monomyths, and One Teacher’s Influence
During my junior year of high school, my AP American History teacher called my grandfather evil. He had worked tirelessly for years with a team of chemical engineers to develop plutonium, which would then be used in the Little Boy atomic bomb. For years I had been proud of my grandfather’s role in American history … More Books, Bombs, and Ethical Situationalism
In the early-2010s, Crown Publishing Group regularly sent me free books in exchange for writing reviews on a now-defunct blog. Some of the books were terrible, while other were secret gems that few have ever read. There are two books that still echo through my psyche. One is on the topic of practicing compassion and … More Two Free Books: Priceless
Picture this. I’m six years old, wearing a minty pastel gingham dress with a shirred chest and embroidered bunnies. My hair is short and manageable and, despite often wearing my favorite pink bike shorts and trendy purple t-shirt clip, people still mistake me for a boy. My chubby-cheeked brother, who just turned four, is wearing … More But Mom, The Baby Ruined Easter!
My grandfather began developing Alzheimer’s in his mid-80s. He was the prankster of the family and always the life of the party. So, when his memory failed him and he no longer recognized faces, he gleefully acted the part. When I greeted him at Christmas one year, he leaned toward me and said, far too … More Look What You Got Yourself Into!
The Purple Journal One of my earliest childhood memories is of my kindergarten classroom. Each evening, we were to write in our “purple journal,” a bracketed purple folder filled with handwriting practice paper. Then, the next morning, Mrs. Lucas would call us up one-by-one to turn it in. On one particular day, I looked into … More Are You A Victim, Or A Victor?
I paddled out with my boogie board, eager to ride another small wave to the shoreline. But this time I had gone too far. I was eleven years old and it was the first summer my mom let me wear a two-piece swim suit. I had just started reading the newest Harry Potter book on … More Removing The Cloak Of Invisibility
When recently visiting my parents, I stepped into my childhood bathroom and noticed that something had changed. After thirty years, the colorful cross-stitch had been taken down. Throughout my youth, every time I plopped my little behind on the toilet, I read the same lines and contemplated their meaning. They felt significant. “A hundred years … More Makers of History, Builders of Tomorrow
While driving home from work, I received a call from a colleague. “I’m sorry, I heard you got fired.” As soon as he hung up, another coworker called to sympathize with the terror of being yelled at by the CEO. With a furrowed brow, I stared forward at the green arrow as one car after … More The Most Important Form Of Selfishness
“I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.” Robert A. Heinlein There is a currently a copy of The Cookie Bible … More Letting Go Of The Little Things
The Heart of the Matter 