Earlier this summer, I found myself without a job. One day I was working on an important client project and had meetings taking up much of my day, the next I was combing job sites and ramping up networking efforts on LinkedIn. My first response to the Covid-related job loss was to panic. My next... Continue Reading →
A different kind of background check
I had to fill out a background check for a new job last week and they asked all the normal questions, home address and employment history for the past seven years. The questions were exactly as you might expect, but I thought they missed a real chance to get know me better. Yup, I think... Continue Reading →
Forgiveness is divine
I hear my wife on her Google Classroom call and she’s bursting with excitement. She’s giddy over one of her kids completing a simple math question. She raises her voice and yells out so everyone can hear, “You did it.” And then there’s me. I’m on a Microsoft Teams call and someone accidentally mutes their... Continue Reading →
Report cards: What not to say
I should have read the room better. If I had, I would have known to keep my mouth shut. My daughter pulled out her elementary school report card. She had been working hard over the past two months after a tough start to the year and sat with me on the sofa excited to see... Continue Reading →
If our pets could talk
Our family dog, Nittany, a Lhasa Apso – Bichon Frise mix, looked up at me with drowsy eyes from her perch on our bed. Before I got up and got a shower and got started with my work day, I rubbed behind Nittany's ears and up and down her belly. Nittany, who is now 11,... Continue Reading →
Doing it all wrong
My wife walked into our kitchen and gave me a questioning look, the kind of look every husband knows all too well. I could tell I was in trouble. I had pots and pans scattered across the stove and had made a general mess of the room. My wife put down her phone, taking in... Continue Reading →
Something we can all get behind
The anger and vitriol across U.S. has been high in recent weeks. The election, the state of race relations, and Covid have all been a drain. I’ve been pretty vocal about how I will vote on Tuesday, but my hope remains that, whatever the result, America will be able to stand together and support our... Continue Reading →
Unanswered prayers
I put the phone down and lightly banged my fist against my head. My wife and I were newly married and I was up for a new job that would mean more money and, if we pinched our pennies right, could help speed up our bid to buy our first home. Unfortunately, though, the newspaper... Continue Reading →
Through the eyes of a teacher
When my kids were young, they loved to listen to children’s entertainers like the Wiggles, the gang from Sesame Street, VeggieTales, Raffi, and Joe Scruggs. They loved the silly, upbeat music and crazy performances. The music was so well loved in our house that our daughter wanted us to call 9-1-1 when we somehow inadvertently... Continue Reading →

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