I asked him what it feels like to be “world-class.” But, I could tell he was uncomfortable with comparisons.
Sometimes I Get It Right
You’d think – since we’re older every day – with age comes wisdom. Sadly, this isn’t always true. Yet, we can often learn from each other’s experiences. So, let me be the bad example: I learn the hard way.
Quiet
He sits on a river bank somewhere, not seeing the difference in the river bank he sat on from miles away, seeing the same sunset and sunrise.
Pol Pot: Southeast Asia’s Adolph Hitler
I am sitting next to Bou Meng, a lean man in his 70s, who had the unique, rare fate of escaping being murdered in the Khmer Rouge S-21 prison camp in Phnom Penh.
Alexander’s Decision
We know that we all began as newcomers and there’s no seniority with citizenship. There are short-term costs. But, how many would trade places with people having no future?
On Being Lucky
Bob has been my mechanic for over thirty years. He has taught me a lot about cars, but much more about life.
Rewriting History
In Trump’s America, where the veneer of American idealism and tolerance has been ripped away to reveal something sickening, my childhood memories have started to morph.
How My Students and I Still Impact Each Other’s Lives
My response to the second thank you was to sit at my computer and cry. It’s been a decade since last I taught, but it was apparent that I had left an impression on this young man. When you leave teaching, it’s difficult to see the impact you have on students’ lives once they leave your school.
A Real Slice of Budapest Life
There, in the shadows of a building that dated back to the Soviet occupation, by the look of it, she smoked as I sipped beer. But chatting about our day of exploring the city, we weren’t expecting the slice of Budapest life that was about to unfold.
And we would have missed it completely if our accommodation plans had worked out as intended.
The One Question Sure to Make Every Unemployee Cringe
I was hopelessly naive about unemployment but confident that I would use the time off for worthwhile activities like meditating and checking items off my whiteboard list. Several months later I had still not written the great American novel, given a Ted talk, or become a beekeeping hobbyist.