October 24th, 2022 I read an essay today about how the internet will be dead soon. We’ll look back and laugh at the period of time that we, as a species, spent endlessly staring into the glowing void of our digital devices. The argument for this imminent death is that the internet isn’t real. It’sContinue reading “Two pages in the book of the history of humanity”
Tag Archives: Adulthood
The Characters Who Inspired Me, Part 2
October 20th, 2022 For the second installment of my Halloween series, let’s take a closer look at Steven Quincy Urkel. First things first: can we just give my mom a massive round of applause for acknowledging that her white boy loved Steve Urkel but also understood that he did not need to look EXACTLY likeContinue reading “The Characters Who Inspired Me, Part 2”
I Heart Kaleidoscope
October 19th, 2022 Unlearning can be learning. For a second year, I was lucky enough to be invited to teach Kaleidescope, an arts program for LGBTQ+ youth in Faribault. We meet in the Buckham Memorial Library, which is surreal, because I grew up just a block away and spent so much of my young lifeContinue reading “I Heart Kaleidoscope”
Just Another Day
October 16th, 2022 It’s just another day. It’s football day. My dread is warmer than usual, my anxiety sharper. It’s not just another day. My dad legally divorced the Minnesota Vikings in 1998 over an incident neither he nor millions of other sports fans had any control over. My mom stayed committed to them. ThatContinue reading “Just Another Day”
Amsterdam
October 4th, 2022 I knew very little of what I wanted to be as a dad. My friend Kim and I were talking about our families after work tonight; as a special ed teacher, she encountered countless parents who weren’t sure how to react to their families being “different.” She shared with me a storyContinue reading “Amsterdam”
The Kind Monster
September 6th, 2022 Starting today, I’m going to be taking the rest of the month off from posting essays. I feel like you and I could use a break from each other, in a good way. I hope you’ll catch up on posts, if that’s your thing, or pick up some of my work andContinue reading “The Kind Monster”
For You or Not For You
September 5th, 2022 When I saw the State Fair water tower on the horizon this year, the nostalgia hit me harder than normal. Instead of a general flavor, nostalgia tends to get colored by people whose loss feels recent, like yesterday, even though they’ve been gone, say, nearly two years. It got me thinking aboutContinue reading “For You or Not For You”
Stupid Questions
September 2nd, 2022 “So I was looking at the long term / Three quarters and I quit school / Now I break hearts as a learning tool.” – The Next Step, “Honesty & Happiness” As that lyric accurately describes, I did not go to college for long. Even calling it “college” doesn’t feel right. ButContinue reading “Stupid Questions”
Trauma Like Candy
August 25th, 2022 When I was growing up, my dad took us camping a lot. That meant a lot of s’mores, mosquito bites, boat rides, sunburns, worms pierced with hooks, hammocks, and campfires. On one particular trip, during elementary school break, I had become fascinated with the fire pit on the grounds. It was madeContinue reading “Trauma Like Candy”
I Am Not An Illusion
August 24th, 2022 Mystery is an amateur magic show. I get frequently asked why I tell people stuff on the internet. Like, the stuff you shouldn’t really tell people, the stuff people don’t talk about like I think they should, the stuff that is heavy or hard. I do it because I feel like weContinue reading “I Am Not An Illusion”
The Den 