bee learning
When Grace and I got into the house and took off gear, the protective veil from around her head and the screen-hooded coat from my body, we heard the familiar sound of a single stowaway….
Category: personal essays
a feel for learning
When Grace gave up horse riding a year ago, we went through a period of mourning with a dash of trauma added for flavor. Who our child is, or was, or was going to be,…
back to school
Sabbatical is over. To make this especially clear, last week was that back-to-school tradition, and I, along with thousands of students and hundreds of instructors at my institution, marched or otherwise stumbled forward into another…
stating the obvious — because I’d forget it otherwise
As I go back through my notes, I am recognizing an important, significant fact: I would not have remembered 90% of the details of what I’ve been experiencing if I hadn’t written it down. I…
writing teaches writing
When I started this project with the luxury of a sabbatical, I pictured what many others probably imagine. I would be sequestered away in an upstairs room — an image that now strikes me as…
marathon recap
I don’t think that running 26.2 miles provides an interesting arc to support an interesting story. Instead, there is a cluster of observations not unlike any given 4-hour time period. This one just happens to…
note under my door
I’ve made a point of not visiting my office much this year. Occasionally I stop by to pretend that I’m doing accounting, check my mail, grab something or stow something. A sign on my door…
last dance
Today was my last day of dance class. I didn’t make that realization until I was walking in from the parking lot and toward the performing arts building. It struck me not so much as…
stardust
I’ve publicly stated that I’m in the midst of a series of essays about a recent trip. At last count, I had covered two of those five essays. And then I left again, giving me…