Category: Uncategorized
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From Dice to Dialogue
I once had a student that we’ll call “Leo.” Leo was tall, Leo was compliant, and Leo was largely nonverbal. This provided difficulty in the classroom, because it was his senior year at the autism center where I taught, and I wanted to do everything I could to prepare him for adulthood.
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The Rule of Cool… and Kindness
Encouraging Compassion Through Narrative Choices Your players are at the inevitable moment of battle. The rogue draws her dagger and slinks into the corner. The barbarian kicks down the door between the party and their enemies. The bard determines whether he can distract a footsoldier long enough for the rogue to slit its throat. How…
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A Eulogy for Mammy
Below is the eulogy I gave at my grandmother’s funeral today. She was a special woman who lived a long life filled with purpose and self-discipline.
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Why We Create Before Anyone’s Watching
It’s late Sunday night, and the next morning’s Patreon drop just isn’t where I want it to be creatively. I’ve got to get up the next morning at 4:30 to get the drop done before heading to my day job before sunrise. That’s when the self-doubt creeps in the most–when I’m tired, vulnerable and alone…
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My Celebrity Doppelgangers
I had a humbling experience this week when one of my students introduced me to yet another celebrity doppelganger that I resemble. By day, I’m a public high-school teacher, and one of my students confessed Friday that a picture of me has been viral among the students for at least a year, showing an uncanny…
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A Tribute to My Comic Book Guy
I found out last night that a key figure from my past passed away in October. My Comic Book Guy–Al “Oggie” Medlock–was vital to my learning to function as an adult, and I don’t think he realized how life-changing that was for me. Emerging from darkness During my freshman year of college, I fell into…
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The Miraculous Benefits of Gratitude
We often overlook gratitude in the consumerism-obsessed culture of our modern day. We get so caught up in the stuff we want to possess, we forget to acknowledge our fortune in the stuff we already possess–whether it’s tangible belongings, experiences, relationships or character qualities. It’s a shame, though, because scientific study after scientific study has…
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It’s a bird-by-bird kinda week
This coming week will be jam-packed with potential blessings and opportunities for me. When they all pile up like that, I tend to dread the mass of experience instead of savoring each individual accomplishment as it comes. In the meantime, my body’s fighting off a cold. Enter Anne Lamott. Not only is she a tremendous writer,…
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Finding Your Side Hustle
If you’re a school teacher or high-school student, the laid-back pace of summer often provides the opportunity to hustle. Not having a side hustle is rarer these days, as it can provide peace of mind to not put all of your income streams in one basket. Here are a few side hustles I’ve picked up…
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Learning to Read
Some of my fondest childhood memories occurred during the summer. I would spend entire days and late nights devouring a novel before moving on to the next one. I couldn’t get enough. Then, at some point during the tech boom, I lost that ability to read. I wasn’t diagnosed with ADHD until well into my…
