I look in my son’s room and find him sitting one leg scrunched underneath him, the other hanging from his chair, pouring over his computer screen and a nearby tablet. He’s been working on his homework for much of the weekend. As a junior, he’s got a heavy load with Pre-Calculus and two AP classes,... Continue Reading →
Struggling to find the right words
I sit down to write, but nothing comes. I'll see something in the news or on social media that touches me or a politician will say something in this crazy climate that will make my blood boil. I’ll think to myself, how can they be so uneducated or even uncaring, but when I sit down... Continue Reading →
Can you feel the love tonight
The young woman rang up my grocery order. I had the exact number of items to fit the express line, but she still gave me a cold stare like I was a rule breaker. She threw my groceries down the conveyor, paying little attention how they landed. In this COVID-19 environment, I rarely go to... Continue Reading →
The artist dying to come out
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 →
A frank look at white privilege
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 →
Everything’s gonna be alright
The voice on the other end of the call became garbled and faded out. I saw the senior executive's face on the Microsoft Teams call, but I couldn't make out what he said. When he came back on, all I could hear him saying was "what do you think, Brian?" In this crazy COVID-19 world,... Continue Reading →
We have options
I missed the cut. I could cry my eyes out or to steal a cliché, I could get back up on the horse and try again. I was in my mid 20s and I was applying for a newspaper reporter position back in Pennsylvania. My fiancé, now my wife, and I were in Northern Virginia... Continue Reading →
And a child shall lead them
My daughter loves hanging out with her friends. She also enjoys reading or relaxing with our dog Nittany. Likewise, my oldest son loves to lift weights and watch action movies. Over the past twelve months, I’ve watched as both have given up things they love and stepped out of their comfort zones to tackle new... Continue Reading →
Memories that stick
One moment lasted a little more than an hour, the next, maybe ten minutes max, but once they were gone, they were gone. I’m talking of course about two moments that my wife and I experienced at the beach a few weeks ago: one was a beautiful sunrise and our walk on the beach and... Continue Reading →

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