“You’re too nice,” he said to me. Now, I get this all the time. All the time. All my life. All walks of life. Relatives. Teachers. Coaches. Friends. Girlfriends. As a child, I got if from […]
Tell Me Something Good
Nothing. No takers. Crickets. Less than crickets. Really, more of that open, expansive silence you get in a room that is badly in need of a voice or two. I am undeterred and follow my usual […]
Backpack Full Of Burden
I caught him. I felt like some character from a mediocre cop show. I had sleuthed it out. But, that feeling stayed with me for an instant. Less than an instant, if that’s possible. The […]
THE ICE MAN COMETH
To know Stella is to love her. If you’re skeptical about the future, if your teenage angst has resurfaced as old-man-rage, then I recommend you spend some time with Stella. She just might be an unassuming […]
PLAY BALL
Can’t remember the last time I’ve been to a professional ballpark. No shade. The hot dogs have long been established as carcinogens. And the games can sometimes trudge along for up to three hours. Who’s got […]
Critical Reading, Crazy Eyes, and Small Claims Court
“It’s Friday. I got that reading class next. But all we do on Fridays is watch Judge Judy.” This was followed by a small flurry of fist bumps. I once overheard that during snack. One of […]
All The World’s An Inference
NEVER. READ. A. JOKE. Trust me, just don’t ever do it. As well written, as well crafted, as a joke may be, like a note of music, it must be played and performed. It must be […]
RIGHTS DON’T STAY RIGHTS ALL ON THEIR OWN
Quite a bit of adolescent hand-wringing starts to snake through the room after a couple of minutes. Kids look at me puzzled, but I pay them no mind. I’m in full test-proctor-mode. “But Mr. Bowen, this […]
Breaking Down the Walls
She’s got a smile that’s more like a hug. It somehow pulls you in. Even begrudgingly, it still manages to pull you in. Even me. I’m generally suspicious of people that seem too happy. From a […]
A Marcos Attitude
“You know what you need this morning?” Groggy-eyed, a boy more than likely suffering from the effects of a late-night gaming binge, nods. He still gets my reference. “Let me hear you say it,” I tell […]
Less Attitude. More Gratitude.
“Tell her, daddy. She knows it’s coming,” my oldest said. Of course, it’s coming. See, there is a bumper sticker quality to some of my parenting. There are the standards. “Choose very few battles, but never […]
Never Met A Dream I Didn’t Like
“Do you remember what I said I was going to do?” he asks me excitedly. “Of course,” I nod as if the answer is obvious. “You’re going to open up a boxing gym once you finish […]
3 Tips and Tricks for Teaching the Teen Driver
“Cop.” “Which side?” “Your side. At the light.” It sounds like a conversation between two wanted assailants that perhaps had tunneled out of Riker’s using plastic spoons and toothpicks. But, no. This was a typical exchange […]
White Men Can’t Jump…But Levitate?
It’s true. It’s been my sad and woeful battle with gravity for years. My jumping suggests that perhaps gravity has an abnormally negative effect on me. Sadly, there is no Rare Gravity Abnormality Syndrome (RGAS for […]
“I Am My Faith”—A Story of Language and Faith in the Classroom
A disclaimer to start. I tell this story because it has a moment of true beauty to it and I’m trying to do it some justice. To get to that moment though, faith and culture may […]
Kid’s Best Friend—Dogs Teach More Than Responsibility, They Teach Love
“Absolutely.” I say it with assured conviction. “Really? I can have a dog?” “Absolutely,” I say again. I even wave my hand in the air just a bit as if this whole dog business is a […]
A Thousand Stories—Make Every Word Count
Don’t talk grades. You’re not supposed to talk about grades during Open House. Just keep pushing parents to the projects and work on the walls. But, that’s not why most parents show up. They don’t care […]
Hearts Held Together with Tape and Glue: A Middle School Love Story
Third period. Ten a.m. Last week of school. One of those mornings that has that soft smell of spring, but feels like summer. It’s a good one. Dennis has a girlfriend. Fine choice, too—Sylvia. I’m assuming […]
The Box, The Big Book of Nothing and it’s Magic Effect
At first, I pay no attention to the box. Paying no attention is key in gaining the attention of everyone else. Kids point. They question. I shrug them off. We do our usual morning routine. Kids […]
My Christmas Tale: from Sense of Dread to Humbled Holiday Spirit
I’m a covert Scrooge. I’ve got humbug, much like ice water, running through my veins. I say ‘covert’ because as a father and one-time elementary school teacher, I appreciate that my own misgivings about the holiday […]