A life lived like Munson

Our dear dog Munson made the journey to Heaven this morning. I have no doubt he has already gotten the lowdown from our dear dog Jake on where to get all the ear rubs, treats, and tennis balls he can possibly stand.  Munson went from being a poor homeless puppy on the street riddled with …

I’m FIFTY!!

So today is a whole thing. "BOOK em Danno I'm FIVE -OH!" Mostly I want to thank all of you. I mean, there's my mom who was literally there from the very "slimy, whiny, crying, life with active lungs is so really really hard" start...Thanks Mom! (and Dad too, as he had to somehow stomach …

Anticipating your own wait time

When did being forced to anticipate something and wait for it become an extinct practice?

Of trailblazing and SAT scores – a tale of doors both open and closed

In the wake of this week's college admission scandal, where elitist parents used their enormous bank accounts to gouge back door entrances into the Admissions offices of their kids' "beyond reach" schools, I thought I'd share some good news that is tangentially related. I have a student who is first generation college bound and has …

Encouraging words and positive momentum, a school counselor’s tools to use

It was hard to tell if there were tears welling up in her eyes. In the Counseling Office of a high school crying girls are a dime a dozen. I once listened to a freshman girl blubber through unintelligible word phrases and a half of a box of tissues only to learn her dad had …

It’s Christmas Eve y’all…

My favorite day of the year. Not sure where it started specifically. But I'm sure it's rooted in memories. Like when the candle wax dripped on my hand, the Athens UMC sanctuary alit naturally while Silent Night rings out. Or when my Anma raises her fingers and shakes them to "...five golden rings..." Or when she finally …

Twelve seconds at peak parenthood

"My heart is RACING!!" The smile on her face was as electric as the tension in the stadium. And it was all I really needed. I'm not a real professional sports kind of guy. For sporting events I prefer a campus back drop and marching bands and actual cheerleaders compared to this fancy new Mercedes-Benz …

Thomas Magnum didn’t drink New Coke

Coach: "How's a beer sound Norm?" Norm: "I dunno. I usually finish them before they get a word in." That's just a brief moment from one scene where two authentic characters engage in a humorous and memorable interaction. What a breath of fresh air. Because in just the past couple weeks I've seen promotional commercials for a …

Refocusing these corrective lenses

"Which is clearer...A, or...B?" My view through the optometrical torture device shifts from a very clear  L C O P M  to one that maybe, just maybe is slightly less clear. "Again, which is clearer...A, or...B?" I struggle. The optometrist really sounds like she knows the answer, but just like most every math test I suffered …

9/11 remembrances – torn apart, but arose as one

As so many of you likely did at some point today too, around the office this morning we reflected on where we were 17 years ago when the news hit. For me, I was coming out of the x-ray wing at Eastside Medical Center in Snellville. The very first images were being shown on a …