Rebuilding Rob

  • What Bugs Me: A Short List With a Long Memory

    What Bugs Me: A Short List With a Long Memory

    In this reflective post, Rob explores the thin line between being aggressive and being assertive. From the “teacher in me” tackling willful ignorance to creating a “Sanctuary Classroom” for the outsiders, he shares why he no longer has patience for bullies and how he’s building the environment he once needed…

  • The Temptation of the Out: Utility vs. Visibility

    The Temptation of the Out: Utility vs. Visibility

    At 51, temptation isn’t about forbidden fruit anymore—it’s the urge to trade your peace for a traditional role that requires you to be invisible. Facing an ’18-year horizon,’ Rob explores the tension between being ‘useful’ and being seen, and why he’s finally choosing himself over social expectations.

  • Rob Reviews: Tron Ares (2025)

    Rob Reviews: Tron Ares (2025)

    Is Tron: Ares a sci-fi masterpiece or just a two-hour Nine Inch Nails music video? Read Rob’s full review of the 2025 trilogy conclusion, featuring Jared Leto and the return of Kevin Flynn. Now streaming on Disney+.

  • Sunday is borrowed time

    Sunday is borrowed time

    Why does Sunday feel like a 24-hour loan with high interest? From 1980s Detroit Lions nostalgia to the 5:00 PM transition of visitation weekends, I’m exploring the weight of “borrowed time” and the ritual of putting the teacher armor back on.

  • Teacher Armor and the Saturday Clearing

    Teacher Armor and the Saturday Clearing

    As a teacher, a two-day weekend is a delicate balance. Explore why the “Saturday Clearing” is the 48-hour sweet spot for recovery, how to manage the “Teacher Armor” that keeps us going during the week, and why every working-class stiff needs a specific window to reclaim their space.

  • The Extra Day: A Ten-Year Memory

    The Extra Day: A Ten-Year Memory

    What is one thing you want to remember in 10 years? For Rob, it’s not the holiday stress, but the phone call his 18-year-old son made to stay one more day. A reflection on the ‘Unexpected Win’ of being chosen, the end of custody arrangements, and the simple joy of…

  • Of Training Wheels and Christmas Lights

    Of Training Wheels and Christmas Lights

    We had set up her assisted living under the guise that she would have enough money to cover it as long as she needed. What we didn’t count on—and I know this sounds blunt—is her surviving as long as she has. Now, the training wheels are coming off. It’s time…

  • Charity Starts at Home (And I’m Back in My Childhood One)

    Charity Starts at Home (And I’m Back in My Childhood One)

    Living on a teacher’s salary in the 2026 economy means “charity starts at home.” Rob explores his favorite causes—from Habitat for Humanity to PBS—and how they fit into his 2026 Blueprint.

  • The Muscle of Empathy

    The Muscle of Empathy

    Is kindness a sign of weakness, or the ultimate display of strength? In “The Muscle of Empathy,” Rob explores why empathy isn’t just a feeling, but a skill that requires “heavy lifting.” From the political complexities of sovereignty in Venezuela to the legendary “strong enough to be gentle” philosophy of…

  • Where Do We Go From Here? Five Years Since January 6.

    Where Do We Go From Here? Five Years Since January 6.

    Five years after the events of January 6, 2021, the ‘nightmare’ has expanded into new global territories. Reflecting on a year of unexpected shifts—from domestic politics to interventionism in Venezuela—I’m left with one haunting question: Where do we go from here?