When I was a kid in elementary school, I would often slur my “r,” “s,” “th,” and “sh” sounds. These sounds require more precise tongue and mouth movements. Many times children haven’t been naturally exposed to these sounds and need to work to build them up. I would get regularly pulled from class to spend … More No “one size fits all” solutions
When I was a young kid, I read a book about a guy who walked across the United States, connecting the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans. It was hard for me to wrap my brain around the idea, it seemed like such an impossible task. I couldn’t imagine how he could do it. The details … More Connecting the dots
I tried to sprint the final 20 yards, but my legs felt like slabs of concrete. I straightened up my posture, but I was instantly back to being hunched over like an old man. My breaths came in deep gulps. I turned a corner in the trail, hit my stopwatch and shuffled my feet to … More Better . . . stronger . . . faster!
Problem-solving is my super power. That isn’t some humble brag – it’s an all out brag. 😊 I teach classes on problem-solving: BAM. I’m done. Might be the shortest post ever from me. Except, the years have taught me that my engineering brain doesn’t always see the full picture. People are opportunities to open, not … More Problem Solving Super Power
Where do we find the light? The inspiration? That spark of genius, even if only for a fraction of a moment? In In Praise of Disorganization, Wynne and I discussed a brilliant (pun intended 🙃) source of such wonder: the collision of different worlds! Think about it, fire materializes when 3 very different components come … More Where Do We Find It?
I told a rather light-hearted tale on my personal blog this morning. A brief glimpse into what I remember as a rather courageous act for someone who was not often willing to stand up, or stand out. I remember it mostly as a first glimpse into what being bold and brave might feel like. At … More Defeating Trauma With Courage
When I was a young kid, I was small for my age. We’d line up at the start of the year, smallest to the tallest, and I would always be one of the shortest boys in my class. I wasn’t the smartest either, I had to work hard for my grades. Every ‘A’ felt like … More If there were 100 people in the world?
Most of us have had the opportunity to see street performers. A musician, maybe a magician, maybe a pantomime. Here’s a 2ish minute video of a violinist playing classical music in a subway station in DC in the middle of rush hour: During the 45 minutes the violinist played, more than a 1,000 people passed … More Do You Stop and Smell the Roses?
Several years ago, my wife and I went to an office supply store to get a few Back to School items for her classroom. The school, located in an urban district, provides a budget, but it’s usually not much, so we usually cover the rest for paper, pencils, extra library books for her students, etc. … More Thinking like a kid
A few weeks ago Brenda, who writes at Curiosities, Castles and Coffee Shops wrote a great post about logic versus emotion and the ways in which she is influenced by both. She talked specifically about how she believes that allowing her emotional side to prevail brings her greater happiness, a sense of balance and significantly less … More Lines and Barriers
The Heart of the Matter 