“My name is Lester Burnham. This is my neighborhood. This is my street. This is my life. I’m 42 years old. In less than a year, I’ll be dead. Of course, I don’t know that yet. And in a way,
Category: Blog
Everyone Has a StoryEveryone Has a Story
Browsing through Barnes and Nobles’ biography shelves over the holiday weekend, I was awed by the array of stories, that between each spine held a life, or at least part of it. We read these biographies and memoirs for a
Cemetery’s ChristmasCemetery’s Christmas
Memorial Day is a cemetery’s Christmas with its festive décor and visits from family. It’s the one time of year when we openly pay tribute to the burial grounds of generations past. Every Memorial Day, I visit the cemetery in
The Summer of JulieThe Summer of Julie
George Constanza was on to something when he declared that his upcoming summer was the Summer of George. After being fired from the Yankees, he receives three months’ pay—kind of like how every summer is for me as a teacher.
The ParadoxThe Paradox
Driving home for my lunch break, I sat, stopped at the tedious red light, the one light we all suffer through on our route to and from work, the one that takes forever to turn green. I was in no
TimeTime
I have become keenly aware of time, mostly the lack of it. It’s our most valuable resource, yet we can never gain it back. Middle age has brought about this awareness, yet a continuous threat of cancer has started a
No, I Will Not Fill Out Your Survey So Stop Asking MeNo, I Will Not Fill Out Your Survey So Stop Asking Me
It happens multiple times a day: after a trip to Target, an oil change, buying ink at Office Depot, not to mention most Amazon purchases, my garbage collector, and the doctor’s office. Could I please answer a survey regarding my
Perfectionistic ProjectsPerfectionistic Projects
I took a couple of vacation days from work, using up personal days to address the spring fever that not just infects students, but taunts teachers as well. All went well until my last day, when the rain and storms
Morning MusicMorning Music
I always have music playing—unless I’m reading or writing. While I clean, while I research, while I complete creative projects, and while I drive, music is either tinkling in the background or vibrating the speakers. Music is life’s great equalizer,
Makeup, Materialism, and Minors: What One Trip to Sephora Revealed about SocietyMakeup, Materialism, and Minors: What One Trip to Sephora Revealed about Society
I’m cheap. I feel I should disclose this immediately. I do not buy expensive brands. Never have, never will. My sister, who is four years older than me, used to cry when my mom refused to buy Guess jeans. My