Although I’m a career educator, I’m not a fan of report cards. I didn’t like receiving them when I was a student, didn’t like completing them as a teacher, and I totally despised all the studies we did when I served as an administrator. No matter what system was developed, parents wanted things to be …
The Coronavirus and Me
The current health crisis has brought great uncertainty to the world. People want guidance, answers, deadlines, and most of all, they want to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The problem is compounded by the fact that no one knows how long the tunnel is. We’re not used to the inconvenience that …
Who Needs Toilet Paper
The first time I saw a bidet was about forty-five years ago. One of my friends, Lyndon, was building a new house, and he took me on an impromptu tour. He was having great success in his new business, selling student accident insurance to K-12 schools and colleges throughout Michigan and the surrounding states. …
March Madness
The current world health crisis has brought great change to all of us. We’re learning new things every day, and quite frankly, each day is a bit scarier than the last. One of the first national casualties was the cancellation of the NCAA’s college basketball tournaments and the annual basketball season known as March Madness. …
Iola Jean
I’ve worked with hundreds of staff members over my career. I can count on two fingers how many of their middle names I can recall, and I’m not really sure about the second. I don’t know why Iola Jean Perkins sticks, but it does. I’ve included a couple more reflections regarding Miss Perkins below. Another …
Miss Perkins
I met Iola Perkins during my first week on the job in Addison. I was a thirty-year old, still wet behind the ears, elementary school principal, and she was a veteran teacher old enough to be my mom. If they put a picture of a teaching spinster in the dictionary, they could have called upon …
Wrestling With A Bear
My new knee is three weeks old. I’d like to tell you things went smoothly, but they didn’t. I was the first patient of the day. I met with all the players prior to surgery – my doctor, his team of nurses, the anesthesiologist, the x-ray tech, the guy who shaved my leg, and a …
Dear Eva,
I never believed in love at first sight until your dad was born. The moment I saw him, I loved him. I felt the same way when your Aunt BZ and Uncle Mike were born. The fourth time I was overwhelmed like that was with Brady’s birth. The last time was the moment I …
Dear Brady,
Your dad told Nana and me that you went out for a slushy after the game several weeks ago with a girl from your school. She drove, so I know she’s at least sixteen. Good for you. I hope you had a good time. We both know that you’ve been interested in girls for some …
Catawampus
Cattywampus and catawampus are used interchangeably. If you check with Webster you’ll probably find catawampus. I prefer Google’s more liberal approach, cattywampus. If you examine the word in more detail, you’ll discover that for my purposes, I should follow Webster’s lead. That’s how my brain has been since my surgery – catawampus. …