Category: the audacity of potential
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The Swift Kick: Why It’s Time to Finally See the World
Reflecting on a life-changing high school trip to France, a lifelong hesitation around travel, and how a potential winter getaway to Las Vegas might finally change the routine.
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What We Remember, What They Inherited
Twenty-five years after 9/11, high school teacher Rob reflects on the generational weight carried by Gen Z and Gen Alpha. Explore how a post-9/11 world of constant digital scrutiny and security paranoia has fueled a generation’s deep-seated yearning for an analog past.
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Money, mindset, and the middle ground 
Explore how mindset impacts your financial success by finding the healthy middle ground between extreme frugality and careless spending, featuring insights on lifestyle choices, financial planning, and setting boundaries.
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Planting Flags: Rivers, Resilience, and Moving Forward
From a first-time 12-mile canoe trip on the Au Sable River to meeting family and planting a flag, this Labor Day reflection explores resilience, moving past old safety nets, and navigating a seismic shift as summer turns to fall.
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Reading Without Regret: The Reader Who Just Didn’t Care
A look back at a college Literature 101 class 30 years ago, exploring why reading a book you completely don’t care about isn’t a failure—and how total indifference to Margaret Atwood’s characters ultimately shaped a high school English teacher’s classroom philosophy
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The 2019 Files: Why I Wouldn’t Change a Thing (Except When I Would)
Reflecting on a past life, missed connections, and personal evolution, this post explores why reliving 2019 could have changed everything with Sierra—and why right now is the only place we’re meant to be.
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What My Parents Didn’t Teach Me
Growing up Gen X meant freedom and a unique kind of toughness, but it also meant a lack of preparation for the real world’s cruelty. In this reflection on parenting, boundaries, and raising kids differently than we were raised, we look at why modern helicopter parenting stems from wanting to…
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Five mobile apps I can’t live without 
Discover the top five mobile apps I can’t live without for blogging, connecting, streaming Tigers games, and more. Check out the list and share your favorites.
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The Shape of September
Reflecting on September 1, legacy, and the bittersweet shift of seasons. From the start of the school year and the Tigers’ winding-down season to building great momentum with graduate school horizons and life with Sierra, here is a look at what’s ahead this month.
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The first day pivot
Heading into year 16 of teaching, Rob reflects on the bittersweet end of summer, a great weekend finale watching Star Trek: Strange New Worlds with Sierra, and stepping into the new school year with a brand-new principal, higher expectations, and a lighter, battle-tested armor.