There are some days — not often — when I need expert advice.

Or at least someone intelligent enough to argue with me without filing a complaint.

It doesn’t happen much. And I don’t usually tell anyone when it does.
The last time I mentioned it out loud, I was one concerned look away from an intervention.

But every now and then, after a long day, after a tense parent conference, after one of those meetings where everyone uses twelve words when three would do… I consult that guy in the mirror. He listens, and most of the time he offers sage advice. 

That Guy in the Mirror:
So. It’s been a minute.

Me:
Yeah. I didn’t really have anything for you. But after a recent conference with a parent, I started wondering if I’d hit my expiration date. Like expired chocolate. Still technically chocolate… just not what people were hoping for.

Mirror Guy:
Expiration date on what?

Me:
My leadership style. I wondered if maybe I wasn’t connecting anymore. If maybe I was… outdated.

Mirror Guy:
Define outdated.

Me:
Old fashioned. My values are old fashioned — but universal. As an admin, I’m not into fluff. No interpretive dance around the issue. Straight talk. Get to the point. Fix what needs fixing. Move forward. There’s no time for nonsense.

I once heard this line on Ted Lasso: “The truth will set you free. But it’s going to piss you off first.”

I felt that in my soul.

At work, that line has earned me more than a few “chats with the boss.”

Mirror Guy:
You’ve said that out loud to a parent?

Me:
Yes. a bunch of times. No regrets, though.

Mirror Guy:
Didn’t go over very well, did it?

Me:
Nope.

But in the end, the goal was achieved.

Improvement.

In my world, we call it growth.

Maybe old fashioned makes me an outlier. But it hasn’t failed me. Not once.

So yeah. I’ll take the old fashioned me. 

With a side of coffee.

Mirror Guy:
You done?

Me:
I think so.

Mirror Guy:
Good. Because what you’re describing isn’t old fashioned. It’s principled.

You value clarity over comfort.
Correction over applause.
Growth over optics.

You’re not throwing truth grenades for sport. You’re aiming for improvement.

In schools — where emotions run hot, narratives run faster, and everybody wants to be liked — clarity is mercy.

People may not enjoy the truth.

But they benefit from knowing where they stand.

You don’t want to be liked. You want things fixed.

There’s a difference.

Consistency builds trust. Slowly. Quietly. Without hashtags.

That’s not outdated.

That’s leadership.

Also… you still want that coffee?

Me:
(Sips.)

Yeah. I guess I just keep being me.

Mirror Guy:

If growth is the goal, then you’re not expired, just consistent.

Maybe old fashioned isn’t a liability.

Maybe it’s a compass.

Me:
(Sips.)

Mirror Guy:
Well, there it is.

There’s more waiting at https://xinkblotz.com. Telling stories, sharing thoughts, and drinking coffee. A blend of fiction, reflection, and whatever’s brewing – one post at a time.