I recently discovered an expert in a subject I'm interested in.

Studying his work has been intense. I'm reading his book, but I don't fully understand it. I understand the articles on his website more than the book, but I have to reread them multiple times to really get the concepts. And then, implementation of the new ideas is still beyond me.

Read More

I watched a bunch of episodes of Fraggle Rock as a kid, but there's only one that I remember with any clarity.

Among the Fraggles, there lived creatures called Doozers. They were continually building and rebuilding structures in and among the rock formations of their habitat. The Fraggles ate these structures, which is why the Doozers were constantly rebuilding.

Well, in one episode, the Fraggles feel guilty and decide to stop eating the Doozers' structures.

Read More

Prior to a move, I was trying to use Marie Kondo’s framework to decide which books to keep and which to donate.

Holding each book in turn, I asked myself, “Does this book ‘spark joy’?” I hemmed and hawed as I began to separate the books into two piles. This was tricky! I didn’t feel confident in my assessments at all. There was too much nuance in each decision. This was going to take forever.

Read More

The kids are back in school, and I miss them.

Life goes on at The Little Middle School—surprisingly normally, given the masks. And I’m not there for any of it. I’m over a thousand miles away, alone and waiting for my second shot.

It’s fine — I wouldn’t even really have time to engage with the students. I will stay busy the entire day and not get to the end of the work. I will provide support to the teachers from afar, and that will have to be enough.

Read More

Years ago, I moved to a new city with only the slimmest of job prospects (that was crazy decision number one).

I managed to find a part-time, temporary gig as an assistant teacher of music classes for older adults. We were teaching them how to play keyboard instruments, but the goal was really to sell them fancy home organs so complex that their array of buttons and dials resembled the cockpit of a 747 (the price was similar to that of an aircraft, too).

Read More