Tag: behavior

  • Not the Same River, Not the Same Me

    “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.”— Heraclitus I heard this today, and it stayed with me. At first, it sounds like a simple observation about a river. But it’s really about life. Heraclitus reminds us that two things are always…

  • How Curiosity and Creativity Became the Story of My Life

    I don’t remember deciding to become a creative person. I think I just never stopped being a curious kid. Like every toddler, I was convinced the world existed solely for my investigation. Everything deserved to be touched, tasted, shaken, stacked, thrown, or, if possible, taken apart. My parents probably called it “getting into things.” I…

  • Yes… We Know It’s Hot.

    Yes… We Know It’s Hot.

    People always ask, “How do you live out there?” Well… We complain about the heat for four months. We brag about the weather for the other eight. We have sunshine almost every day of the year. Palm trees. Winters that people everywhere else dream about. Some of the most incredible sunsets you’ll ever see. And…

  • I’m Not Superstitious, I Just Have… Procedures

    People throw around the word superstitious way too casually. I’m not superstitious. I just happen to know that if I leave the house, realize I forgot my wallet, and have to go back inside, the entire day is now operating under a cloud of administrative inconvenience. Coincidence? Maybe. But why risk it? And no, I…

  • More Than Just a Writing Lesson (Reposted)

    Giving this another lap around the internet. Good stories deserve a second chance… and algorithms have the attention span of a goldfish. My teacher pals, this may be of interest to you (or not… your call – I won’t take it personally). As a teacher, I made sure my students wrote every single day. It…

  • The Art of La Chicanada

    When people jokingly talk about la chicanada, they’re referring to that uniquely Mexican ability to solve a problem with whatever happens to be within arm’s reach. Wire. Zip ties. Duct tape. Fishing line.. An old hose clamp. A soda bottle. A rusty bolt that somehow “looks about right.” It’s resourcefulness born out of necessity…and occasionally…

  • What’s Missing?

    I’ve never considered myself much of a chef. I don’t julienne. I don’t chiffonade. I don’t make foams, reductions, or anything that requires tweezers.  But a cook? Now that’s a title I’d proudly wear. When I’m cooking, I really only have one goal; Make enough food that everyone leaves the table full, preferably smiling, and…

  • The Magic in the Stands

    Every sport has something special to offer in person. If you’ve ever stood inside a packed soccer stadium, you’ve felt the thunder. Ninety minutes of chants, songs, flags, and enough energy to shake concrete. There may be no greater sporting spectacle on Earth than the World Cup. Football is organized chaos. Hockey is astonishingly fast.…

  • On the Honor System: How Are We All Still Alive?

    Civilization has a dirty little secret. It only works because, for the most part, we trust each other. Have you ever stopped and realized just how much of everyday life runs on the assumption that complete strangers are going to behave themselves? Not because they have to. Because they’re supposed to. That’s an important distinction.…

  • A Merely Audible Contemplation

    Lately, I’ve spent enough time alone to hear the refrigerator thinking. It’s a low hum at first, but if you sit quietly long enough, you start wondering if it’s judging your life choices. The funny thing is, I don’t remember solitude being part of the plan. Growing up in a small town, there was always…

  • Muscle Memory

    For the longest time, I’ve worn my hair in what could best be described as a modified buzz cut. All clippers, no scissors. A style that lives somewhere between “civilian trying to look presentable” and “Marine Corps recruiter might nod in approval.” Never quite a full high-and-tight, but close enough that nobody would accuse me…

  • Job Title: Yes (Other Duties as Assigned)

    There isn’t a single human being on this floating rock hurtling through space who has managed to live life playing only one role. Not one. If you know such a person, please let me know. I’d like to study them. Strictly for academic purposes, of course. Not because I suspect they’re an alien trying very…

  • Backyard Kings and Charcoal Crowns

    There was a time when a backyard grill wasn’t just a way to cook dinner—it was Dad’s kingdom. Actually, if we’re being honest, it still is. The throne may be a faded patio chair, the crown may be a cloud of charcoal smoke, and the royal scepter may be a pair of stainless-steel tongs, but…

  • No Wi-Fi, No Agenda, No Problem — Doing Nothing and Loving It

    There used to be a time when “doing nothing” was actually doing something. You’d see it everywhere. A man sitting on the front porch after work, coffee cup in hand, staring at absolutely nothing and somehow thinking about everything. A grandmother on a porch swing, watching the world pass by at a speed slow enough…

  • The Meta Standoff at Calexico High School

    It was high noon at Calexico High. Not the romantic kind of high noon with tumbleweeds rolling past the cafeteria and someone whistling a Morricone soundtrack.  No. This was the modern version. The sun hung over campus like it had a personal grudge. Heat shimmered above the blacktop. The halls were quiet. Somewhere in the…