I’ve been thinking about superheroes. Superman might be able to stop crime in Metropolis and Spiderman might take good care of Queens, but they can’t be everywhere all at once. So, they must prioritize. A petty criminal is not a “job for Superman,” but Lex Luthor’s plans for world domination require his full attention. Even … Continue reading Good Guys
Tag: life
Second Chances
Sometimes the sequel isn’t as good as the original. In my freshman year, I earned an A in the first semester of the course, but when part two came around in the second semester, I became cocky. I missed several classes and did not complete many of the assignments. At the end of the semester, … Continue reading Second Chances
Excuse Me
When our kids were in school, I often asked them if they knew why they didn’t get the grade they wanted. I’m sure they found my question annoying to say the least. Yet, I think it’s important to understand whether they were tired, weren’t feeling well, didn’t study enough, misread a question, or just made … Continue reading Excuse Me
Off With Their Heads!
In October of 2016, four members of the music faculty, including me, were told their positions were being eliminated, effective at the beginning of the next academic year. We were called in for a morning meeting, the president announced the decision, and we were sent on our way. I remember two of my colleagues went … Continue reading Off With Their Heads!
Odyssey-Us
“He prayeth best who loveth best / All things, both great and small: / For the dear God who loveth us, / He made and loveth all.” – Samuel Taylor Coleridge Miss Broscious, my 9th grade English teacher, did her best to introduce us to Greek mythology and a few plays of William Shakespeare. Apparently, … Continue reading Odyssey-Us
Turn the Page
Two years ago, my father died. Mom passed away a few years before that. I’ve been living with a combination of grief and relief for 8 years. While I miss them both, I’m not overwhelmed by their passing, because in some ways they (and I) had already moved on by the time they officially left … Continue reading Turn the Page
Significance
“My friends were little men—like the Führer himself. These ten men were not men of distinction. They were not men of influence. They were not opinion-makers. Nobody ever gave them a free sample of anything on the ground that what they thought of it would increase the sales of the product. Their importance lay in … Continue reading Significance
Yoh…
My great grandmother was from “the old county.” What that country was has been a matter of some conjecture. Family tradition at one time said it might be Ukraine, or somewhere between there and Russia, because great grandma spoke a Russian dialect and went to a Russian Orthodox church. And many people who lived in … Continue reading Yoh…
220: The Way Home
If you travel to Montoursville, Pennsylvania, chances are you will drive on US 220. For me, this was the way “home.” Travelling east on Interstate 80 from western Pennsylvania, take the exit near Mackeyville, and pass by Mill Hall, Lock Haven, Avis, Jersey Shore, Linden, Duboistown, and Williamsport, then arrive in Montoursville, the town I … Continue reading 220: The Way Home
Toys
When we were kids, dad built an HO-scale train layout. He also liked building engines and railcars from kits and was a friend of Mr. English, who owned Bowser Manufacturing (a well-known model train supplier in our hometown). The layout was not as elaborate as those we might see at model train shows. It was … Continue reading Toys
