“On the Ides of March, 2016, a momentous occasion occurred: I managed to meet an important deadline. I finished writing a book.”
All in Miscellany
Run For Your Burrow!
“Yes, I went to Washington, D.C… where people were polite and, although determined to be heard, quite amazingly friendly and helpful to others.”
An Epic Day in Washington, D.C.
“In the aftermath (afterglow?) of what was indisputably an epic, historic day, we feel exhilarated and tired.”
Lingering Things
“A core message I choose to wake to daily is that “everything is possible in the morning.” That is, an entire day lies ahead, filled with promises and opportunity.”
Why the U.S. Congress Should Go To NOLS
“Imagine a group of people tasked to accomplish important things, but who do not share much in common. The people in this group tend to take one of two sides when controversy comes up. Common ground is not common.”
On Good Leadership
“When groups of people come together, the need for leadership arises. Unfortunately, many groups do not enjoy good leadership.”
The Perfect Peach
“Tis the season of the perfect peach, the one you think is ripe but which is still firm enough to the gentle press of the thumb to make you wonder.”
The Contender
“The contender is that person who knows full well that the competition includes others who are more likely to win, but who enters the arena nonetheless.”
“...then suddenly, the pin oak is in”
“I planted the tree when it was merely a sapling, in honor of my daughter’s twelfth birthday, to acknowledge the start of her teen years.”
The Day After
“…you come across something you are interested in doing... It doesn’t matter what “it” is. So you sign on… Could be a trip, or college/learning, or something on your Life List… You load up your gear… You set out.”
Why Our Times Are Not Simple
“Nowadays my information is instantaneous, thanks to the internet, but there ends the simplicity of knowledge, as I enter the worm-hole of All That Mankind (Thinks It) Knows.”
The Art of Writing
“Being a writer can sometimes weigh heavily. As a representative of and advocate for the written word, I recognize the opportunity to demonstrate good writing.”
On Being A Generalist
“And so, it seems, I have become a generalist. I’m generally interested in learning about or doing generally anything. In a world populated more often these days by specialists, I am an outlier…”
Work Is Not A Dirty Word
“Work is a universal theme, but what struck me was how it is spoken with the tone of a person sentenced to life in prison.”
Yes, You Can!
“Yes! is a strategy I have often found helpful. My own efforts at reining in the weight-creep that came after the sedentary habits of grad school…”
What Would You Do Differently If...
“Live large, I say. Don’t zip through the retirement money (just in case), but maybe stop obsessing so much about the little things.”
Mastery as an Attainable Concept
“Maybe what matters most is not the seemingly-ultimate prize of reaching the top. True masters learn that the actions and results from each separate day are what matter.”
Luck and the Liberal Arts
“…given a three year opportunity to teach freshman classes cryptically titled “Thought and Writing.” …I discovered something chilling: knowing how to really think was not a skill that had, so far, been nurtured in most of my students.”
Happy. New. Year!
“It’s not the prevailing winds of your life that dictate the direction you go, but how you set your sails. Somehow, somewhere along the way, I learned this.”