Writing from the Heart with Brian
Think, Laugh, & Cry Each Day
When I was a gawky kid, whenever I brought home my report card, if I had a B, I immediately wanted a A. If I had a A, I wanted an A-plus. When I ran cross country in high school, if I cut 15 seconds off my 5k time, I wanted to run the exact... Continue Reading →
When I was 20, I took a drawing class. I believed in the Liberal Arts tradition that college should be about more than just checking off a list of required classes. I believed that college should help you to become a better person. You should learn a career or trade, but also learn about yourself... Continue Reading →
The teacher walked up and down the aisle handing out magic markers and brightly colored folders like you might find at an office supply store. I got a red one, the girl in front of me got an orange one. It was the first day of school, I was starting the sixth grade, and, of... Continue Reading →
I met them by accident. She was an older African-American woman with a permanent hunch caused by years of hard work as a housekeeper and hours slouched over a needle and thread. She couldn't see real well anymore, but her hearing was still pinpoint accurate. She could read a room without ever seeing it. In... Continue Reading →
I’ve worn glasses since I was in fifth grade. I hated them at first, because they made me stand out and, trust me, no one in elementary school wants to be called "four eyes." In time, though, I got used to them, they're just a fact of life. I’ve had big ones, small ones, rectangular... Continue Reading →
I remember the first time I heard the term “white privilege.” Oh, the African American student who yelled it at me, didn’t use the actual term white privilege, it wasn’t a word that you heard all that much back then, but his point was still the same. It was a chilly spring day, but the... Continue Reading →
I put my phone down in anger. I find anymore that one quick scroll or skim of social media or the day's news headlines can bring on the bitter taste of anger and sadness. I get frustrated that others can be so close-minded and selfish. I was still seething with anger when my wife, sitting... Continue Reading →
When an African-American friend of mine after the Ahmaud Arbery shooting in February said he worried about running outside, I wasn’t sure what to say. Arbery, an unarmed 25-year-old, was fatally shot near Brunswick, Georgia, when he went out for a jog and was pursued by two white men. I tried to find the right... Continue Reading →
When I was 8 or 9-years-old, I looked forward to checking our mailbox. I would get off the school bus and, before heading inside our house, I’d walk to the mailbox, reach up to see what the mailman had brought, and carry the mail inside with me. Most days, the mailman delivered my parents bills... Continue Reading →
Writing from the Heart with Brian 
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