You’ve probably all heard or seen the quotation above. I fully endorse its idea (if not its modifier placement — please switch the order of “only” and “function” as you read it) even though I hadn’t given much thought to the final word until recently. The benefits of having an open mind seemed obvious to…
“Why”…Wednesdays
212. Why Acknowledge the Ocean
Given that last week’s post was about surfing, you might think I’m obsessed with water and water metaphors. Honestly, until writing the last sentence, I would have denied that, but when I think about it, I’ve had a lot of water-related touchpoints in my life. I grew up in a city I could navigate because…
211. Why Surf
I took the screenshot above from the AccuWeather website article about where to find the best waves. I’ve added the link for you in case you know how to surf and want to visit a beach where you could do what the woman in the photo is doing. You might think, given the title of…
210. Why MJ
We’ve finally reached 2023, henceforward known as The Year of Michael. I know that not everyone grew up in Chicago, a mile from Chicago Stadium (now called United Center). I know that not everyone came of age during the late 1980s and early 1990s. I know that not everyone thought basketball was the only sport…
209. Why Learn to Bake
When I asked my husband for a Dutch oven for my birthday last summer, he thought he was heading into a trap in which whatever he did would make him a bad husband. If he didn’t get what I requested, he wasn’t listening to me. If he gave it to me, he was filling a…
208. Why Good Trouble
When I had the idea for this post, I didn’t know there was a television show called Good Trouble. It’s apparently a spin-off from The Fosters, which I enjoyed. Maybe I’ll watch it sometime. If you’ve seen it and can recommend or advise against, please let me know. The show has nothing else to do with the…
207. Why You Can’t Delay Making a Decision
I took the image above from a management training study guide about making decisions. It perfectly captures the way I used to think about making decisions, which is that resting on some neutral ground, a person has multiple directions she could choose to go, each of which would lead her to a different place. What…
206. Why Let Yourself Go
Did you know there’s a Green Day song called “Let Yourself Go”? I didn’t. Clicking the photo above should let you listed to it/watch the video, but I don’t recommend doing that if you have or are near someone with innocent ears. It’s got some salty language in it! I looked up the title phrase…
205. Why Grateful Outshines Gifted
The photo above captures many aspects of my life for which I feel incredibly grateful: I’m married to a supportive, thoughtful, fun, loving, smart, handsome, strong, safe, boat-driving husband. I work at a school with amazing people who do great deeds such as organize and participate in the Hotchkiss Swimathon to raise money for the…
204. Why Deal with Our STUFF
The photo above has nothing to do with the post, but isn’t he cute? Also, if you see my dad (RG) or cousin (CW) today, please wish either/both of them a happy birthday. I have a rule in my classroom check-ins that students aren’t allowed to say anything negative, including complaining about stress, workload, and…