Lessons on a bicycle ride from Florida to Washington. — According to Forrest Gump, he started running “for no particular reason.” He simply liked to run. Of course, we know that he started running to escape his problems. What motivated him to keep running is the real question. My tours on a bicycle were not, however, an attempt to escape…

Parenting a young child when you are in your 50s. — I was 48 when my daughter was born. She is my one and only child. I absolutely adore her and she has changed my life. I am glad I waited to have children but it is not all fun and games. Cons 1. Society’s perception Almost without fail, if I take my daughter somewhere…

Some have now gone away; some, for better or worse, are making a comeback. — The 80s were a time of change. It was the bridge between a much technologically simpler time of the 70s to the electronic revolution of the 90s. I graduated from high school in 1986 and here are some things about the 80s that I remember fondly (and a few memories…

Using a teaching method from the pandemic to combat absences — As a high school math teacher for over twenty years, I would say that excessive absences are the leading cause of failing grades in my classes. The number of chronically absent students seems to be growing every year. The reasons for these absences vary. …

My wife and daughter have very different ideas than me about what a vacation should be like — When I was single, I loved solo traveling. My vacations were certainly not traditional, and I completely understand that they wouldn’t appeal to all people. I have backpacked in Europe, walked across Kansas, and rode my bike all over the United States. My goals were to witness nature, historical places…

A simple technique that will let your children know that you mean it when you say that it is time to go. — I first stumbled upon this technique when I was bartending in college. Last call is a difficult time. In many places by law, you must get everyone out of the bar and their drinks picked up by 2 a.m. or the bar is often fined. On the other hand, the…

A lesson in perseverance as the climb up that mountain seemed almost impossible. — In 2010, a year after my mother’s death, I rode my bike from Wichita, Kansas to Seattle, Washington. My mother had ridden a similar ride in the 1970s and it was a way to honor her. It gave me time to reflect upon her life and death. She was an…

Education should focus on children performing, doing, and problem-solving. — The current situation I have been a high school math teacher for over twenty years, and I am alarmed by what I am currently seeing in schools, but what is bothering me is probably not what you are thinking. Yes, my students are coming to me with lower math skills than I have…

A disagreement about the Confederate flag left me red-faced and feeling foolish. — It happens all the time. What is acceptable and politically correct can change and evolve quickly. It can be hard to keep up. Frustrations are felt from all sides of the issue. The offended is outraged by the insensitivity of the words used by the offender. On the other side…