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Rob Reads: The Audacity of Choosing Yourself
Is ‘solomaxxing’ just a trend, or a survival strategy? In this edition of Rob Reads, I explore why more people are choosing to be intentionally single—and why reclaiming your autonomy is the ultimate act of self-preservation in a complex world. Join me as we break down the reality of the…
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The “Option C” Version of Of Mice and Men
What if the “American Dream” didn’t have to end in tragedy? As an English teacher, I’ve spent years analyzing Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, but today, I’m exploring the version of the story I wish existed—where George and Lennie choose “Option C” and finally find their way to that farm.
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The Architecture of Language: What My Students Taught Me About My Own Tongue
“Ever wonder why we learn more about English grammar when studying a second language? A reflection on the mechanics of speech, ‘The Little Prince,’ and teaching.”
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The Balance of Stillness and Action: Advice for the Next Generation
What is the best advice to give someone younger than you? It requires balancing the art of slowing down to appreciate life with the audacity to act. Drawing on timeless wisdom from the Aeneid to Ferris Bueller, I explore how presence and boldness work together to eliminate the paralysis of…
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The Art of Not Blinking: Why Ukraine’s Fight is My Own
Why does the Ukrainian struggle inspire me? From a TV actor to a wartime president, here is how Zelenskyy’s audacity reshaped my perspective on perseverance.
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Simba on the Serengeti: The Art of the Third Gear
I’ve spent a lot of time oscillating between two speeds: the frantic search for a “home run” and the agonizing, glacial pace of a relationship that had nowhere to go. Recently, after a long-anticipated meetup left me searching for answers, I realized I was trying to “solve” my life like…
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Choosing Happiness: My Alternative Definition of Success
Is success really about the bottom line? I’ve spent my life questioning that, eventually trading corporate monotony for the fulfillment of teaching. Here’s why I believe true success is defined by happiness, not a paycheck.
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Making the Day My Own
Father’s Day in America often comes with a set of tired expectations: a necktie, a grill, and a quiet resignation. This year, I’m practicing the “Art of Moving Slowly” and rejecting the noise. Whether it’s at the ballpark or simply living life on my own terms, I’m making this day…
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The Moment of Rewiring: Stories I’d Experience for the First Time Again
I’ve answered similar prompts before, but the question of what I’d experience for the first time again is worth revisiting. It isn’t about the “before”—it’s about that specific, disorienting second where the credits roll, the book closes, and you realize the world looks different because your perspective has been permanently…
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The Audacity to Feel Everything
We are conditioned to believe that happiness is the default human setting, but what if that’s the biggest myth of all? In this post, I explore why happiness is actually meaningless without the counterweight of our ‘negative’ emotions—heartache, frustration, and the terrifying, electric risk of the unknown. From an unexpected…