An excitable boy at age eighteen is a good thing. I had a great year at that age. Graduated from high school, got a summer job, hitch-hiked to Iowa and back. I left town for college, then turned nineteen and joined the Army the next fall like it was school. That’s where I saw older […]
DAD DAYS TO GRANDDAD AND BEYOND
September 19, 2024 by
Dad days never end, and I’m glad. I didn’t sign up for the part time version. There wasn’t a switch to throw for the eighteenth birthday that said, ‘I’m done.’ I’ve been a dad since my first born, then doubled up with my second. Since then a few surprises joined up, just not those surprises.
EXTRA EFFORT? WHO’S THE JUDGE
May 11, 2024 by
There you are doing your best, trying your hardest, and a voice in your head says, ‘You’d do better with a little extra effort.’ If you’ve heard it, do you know where it come from? A coach, a teacher, a parent. “You could be somebody if you actually applied yourself.”
SELF MADE BADGE OF HONOR, OR GLORY HOG
April 3, 2024 by
The self proclaimed ‘self made’ man stands alone all by himself. No one else gets any credit for his accomplishments because: A: His accomplishments are so meager no one knows, or, B: He’s been shunned. Which is it, because no man is a self made man.
OLD LESSON PLAN FOR NEW TIMES
March 8, 2024 by
An old lesson plan? From Aristotle? Who needs one with new lessons every day? More like who doesn’t? Sometimes it takes a while for things to sink in.
BOOMER BAR SETS HIGH STANDARDS
February 10, 2024 by
Who set the baby boomer bar for making a better world for our children? Our parents, our grandparents, our teachers, and coaches? If that’s your guess, it’s a good one. But who set it so high; why did they do that to us?
HUSBAND SCHOOL GRADED ON CURVE
June 1, 2023 by
Husband school, if you want to know, has one major problem: The teachers. With such poor examples leading class, who are they to judge? Start with the fairy book life of this former prince.
WHIPLASH IN REAL LIFE: HOUNDED BY AMBITIONS
October 5, 2022 by
Whiplash the movie came out in 2014. I saw it two days ago. After I heard about it I waited to watch until it was unavoidable. My takeaway? Don’t wait. But watch it with a musician for the best experience. It’s not just for drummers.
MUSIC MANNERS FOR EVERYDAY LIVING
August 31, 2022 by
Music manners start with listening, which may be a reason school music programs get cut: No one knows how to listen. And being able to listen is the key to musical education. Teachers don’t tell their class to shut-up and listen, but it’s a goal.
HARD QUESTION NEEDS BETTER ANSWERS
August 10, 2022 by
Hard question after dinner: Would you like a wafer-thin mint? If you haven’t seen it, or don’t remember, click the link for the FULL story. It’s longer than I expected, but still hits home.
