The “other side” might pleasantly surprise you — if you’ll let them — Nearly one year ago, I sipped coffee on the back porch of a cottage overlooking a pond as the owner explained why she had taken ivermectin to treat COVID. I knew she had made assumptions about me when she saw my blue electric vehicle with DC plates sitting in her…

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, here are 37,000 from the past 2 years — (All photos by author)

Just like running, the secret is not simply “write faster” — Whether you’re writing on Medium or constantly cranking out monthly reports, donor updates, proposals, guidelines, or other written materials, this post is for you. A former colleague and fellow runner once asked how to write faster, adding with a resigned laugh, “The way to write faster is probably just to…

Earnest and important questions for homeowners up top with comical and lighthearted questions for housesitters at the bottom. — Even two years into my adventures in housesitting, I’m still in awe of the level of trust involved in turning over your home and pets to a person you’ve never met. I know I’m the type of person who will maintain your pets’ schedule no matter how rigorous, dash out…

Lack of shared understanding might be obscuring a shared goal. — As I wrote a few months ago, Judy Woodruff recently began a series called America at a Crossroads that “examine[s] the many differences fracturing the United States.” I share this edition because it delves into many perspectives about how to address our country’s past, both from citizens and those elected…

Lessons from a boat that serve us in the workplace — I really should give engineers more credit. One of my brothers — a talented engineer — jokes about how cameras are always off in his telepresence team meetings (do non-engineers use the word “telepresence?”) and that you know an engineer is an extrovert if they look at your shoes when…

Which makes lawmakers in Texas a wet blanket at the picnic — or more like beans in the chili? — As someone who grew up in Texas, I love things to be big (like my bangs in middle school), I love winning (like football in high school), and I love having it all (like Texas’ seven diverse regions, from Big Bend country to the Gulf Coast beaches and from Piney…

Even small waves make a big difference — I meet with a Spanish tutor via Zoom or Skype to regularly practice that gorgeous language regardless of where I am in the world. Like riding a bicycle, one might not totally forget how to speak, but conversations won’t be as strong without practice. …

I see your frog, Mark Twain, and I raise you two massive dogs. — “Don’t look! Don’t look!” my friend called out urgently. “She’s about to…” But that’s all I needed to hear. I quickly averted my eyes, took several steps away, and prayed I wasn’t downwind. That was 2019, well before the word “coronavirus” became a daily term and I had no reason…