Each generation comes to reject, in one form or another, the conventional rules for getting along in the world as defined by their forebears. America last experienced this rejection in the 1960s. Having lived during that time, I can tell you the process is profoundly unsettling, scary, invigorating and yet cleansing. Sometimes the upheaval is so powerful that it unleashes a torrent of new ideas that engulf an entire society, a deluge that creates swirling eddies and cuts new channels into our … [Read more...]
Look for the Helpers
On a beautiful fall morning 16 years ago, our nation’s collective consciousness was shattered by the horrific attacks on the World Trade Center. That day, our shared belief in the safety of our nation and its borders was instantly changed into a sense of disbelief, fear and anger, all of which persist to this day. However, despite the negative ramifications of that fateful day, I’d like to remember a bright spot, reminiscent of which I witnessed this past week in the way first responders and … [Read more...]
Musical Memories: God Bless the U.S.A.
Today marks the 16th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks that destroyed New York’s World Trade Center. This cataclysmic event will forever be cited as an important historic event that marked the ending of one era and the beginning of a new, more uncertain period for our country and its place in the world. Today, with so much divisiveness in our society, one thing we collectively share as a nation is the remembrance of the horrific events of that day. They will remain indelibly etched in our … [Read more...]
More Alike than Different
Because of my own mental health struggles in adolescence, I have always been a passionate supporter of programs serving early teen students. In fact, one of the most important life lessons I learned over five decades of working in academia is that, despite their diversity in terms of ethnicity, religion or class, teenage kids tend to struggle with similar issues – the need for acceptance, the desire for respect and an insatiable curiosity about the world and all that’s in it. A Teenager with … [Read more...]
Musical Memories: See You in September
As the twilight days of summer dwindle and the sun peers a bit later above the Texas horizon each morning, the turning of the calendar page from August to September awakens vivid memories of the quickening cadence of life that comes with the start of a new school year. Even for those of us whose days in the classroom are now decades in the past, September still marks the end of one season and the beginning of another. Having spent six out of my seven decades of life around schools, … [Read more...]
