GIVE A DAMN
During the school year in 1968, my cousin Tom Horan bemoaned the fact that he couldn't collect much in the way of charitable donations from friends and neighbors for a school club campaign. He was tasked to raise funds for the New York Urban Coalition, who were promoting an intensive campaign to improve life in the New York City "ghettoes". I no longer hear that term used, but that's not because there aren't areas of New York that couldn't use help. Even though the term was
SPELLING BEE
Every year for decades on the last day of school before Thanksgiving, I would surprise my students with a "pop quiz" of sorts. I would tell them that they seemed symptomatic of "senioritis" far earlier than anticipated, and that I was getting a little tired of their "uppity" attitude. Here was a quiz that would bring them back to earth. Some moaned when they heard it was a spelling test, but others, having won spelling bees throughout their childhoods, awaited the quiz with
THIS IS WHERE WE CAME IN
The title of this post was once a common expression now lost forever. It had to do with going to the movies, which people did once or twice a week back in the early days of the Sound period. But going to the movies back in the day was a very different experience from that of today. If I want to go see, let's say Spider-Man: Brand New Day (which is currently dominating the box office), I'd probably look it up on Fandango and find a theatre near me that is playing it. No dou
FUN AND GAMES
When I watch my grandchildren, or really any kids at all, I am often amazed at how sophisticated (even jaded at times) they are. They seem like young adults long before they have actually reached the "age of majority", as I have not heard it called for quite some time. I remember well that when we were little kids, it was essential to occupy ourselves for many hours, alone or with friends or even sometimes with strangers, kids we didn't know who were also looking for someon
MYSTIC FROM THE EAST
My son, Devin, is the authority on all things comic. He has spent much of his life examining the stylings of a variety of comics, from...
CULTURAL SHIFT
There are elements of the past I find far preferable to elements of today. What crotchety old person doesn't feel that way?! But there...
CORPORAL PUNISHMENT
The following is all true. These events took place in the mid-1970s. When I was a first-year teacher of students in 8th-12th grades at...
THE ROYAL VIKING
My first job was delivering Newsday, Long Island's tabloid paper, on my bicycle in the afternoons. My second job was tending to fifteen...
ALTERNATIVE FACTS
I'm having a little fun with this blog post title alluding to the "alternative facts" touted by Kelly Ann Conway when she was challenged...
BIG RED
The greatest athlete of my time...was a horse. I have followed many sports--my beloved baseball, football (college and professional),...
