Skip to main content

Popular posts from this blog

The day Joe Biden visited my social studies class

I had just hung up the phone in the main office when I got the word: “She wants to see you.”  "She" was the principal.  I was actually excited to speak to her. I had just gotten off the phone with Senator Joe Biden’s office.  Everything was set for tomorrow.  He would be speaking to my eighth-grade social studies class.  In fact, we were going to be cramming both classes into one room. In 2003, social distancing was unheard of.   His office had asked me who would be introducing him. I would, of course. “The senator will speak for exactly 30 minutes, then take questions for 15 minutes,” the woman had said. “When he arrives at your school, someone should immediately direct him to the room where he will speak.” “Got it,” I said. I was excited to tell the principal as I walked into her office, but she was clearly not in the mood to hear me gloat about my special visitor. She asked me to sit down. She removed her glasses and massaged the space between her ...
Post a Comment
Read more

10 things to avoid when having a conversation

For a human race that loves to engage in conversation, some of us sure are bad at it! Lately, it seems like people are getting even worse.  There are many avenues where we can try to place blame: social networking, text messaging or the increasingly fast-paced society in which we live.  Regardless of whatever or whoever is to blame, there are certain things we should rarely or never do when trying to have a polite conversation.  Here are ten of them.   1. “I’ll do you one better.” For some reason, too many people view every conversation as a contest.  They simply cannot listen to a story and allow someone else to enjoy telling it without trumping it with one of their own that they think is even better.  Polite conversation means allowing people to share the spotlight.  If I tell you about how I witnessed a bank robbery yesterday on my lunch break, there is no need for you to tell me the story of how your neighbor’s house got broken into when ...
Post a Comment
Read more
Why the Ten Commandments are for atheists, too The First Commandment      There is a natural divide between the first three and the last seven commandments.  While seven through ten take aim at how people should treat each other, the first three are much more concerned with humanity's relationship with God. Because of this, these are commandments that atheists and agnostics would typically have little interest in.  However, after some reflection (even prayer), it becomes clear that these three can help lead anyone, believer or nonbeliever, in a positive direction.      Let's have a look... I, the Lord, am your God … You shall not have other gods besides me. I live in Wilmington, Delaware. About ten years ago, there was a frightening pattern of violence in our city that had been sparked by drug deals and territorial strife. I opened the newspaper one Sunday and read an interview with a terribly depressed woman who had lost several of h...
2 comments
Read more