Finding courage in the face of cynicism and cancel culture I was under attack. Yet I kept on, because there was work to get done. There were places to be. People to see. How was I? I was good, but busy. (You know the clichés that give responses yet deflect…

How the holidays rehearse hope. — Traffic jams. Burnt-out bulbs. Missing ornament hooks. Bake-offs that put Paul Hollywood to shame. Paper cuts. Return lines. …

A tale of the ripple and the rush. — Everyone knew Rigel. And what wasn’t to like. Bright. Popular. Noticed miles away. Acclaimed authors wrote about Rigel. Studied Rigel like a potential lover. The upper echelon for all to aspire to. Not to mention a name that harkened back to royalty. …

Building blocks to bridge divides, reenter reverent discourse. — From our earliest moments, human flourishing hinges upon relating appropriately. To respond wrongly breeds lagged development and impeded connection. This is why we soothe an upset baby, feed a hungry baby and rock a sleepy baby. Without any word spoken, a gap is traversed. …

Give mystery back its space in your life. — It was simple: hit the floating rainbow cube, luck upon a red shell and excitedly fire on an unsuspecting racer. These were the joys from some of my favorite childhood pastimes playing Mario Kart with family. But over time, those wide-open tracks weren’t enough. They became familiar. My 7-year-old mind…

What Parenthood Is Teaching Me About Vulnerability — Gift-giving festivities come with two potentially terrible outcomes when it comes to getting. (Terrible may be subject to the mind of a toddler, but terrible nonetheless.) Socks. And toys with batteries not included. For me, that annual holiday was and is Christmas. Was, because I have a drivers’ license and…

10 years removed from that time I became addicted in college — Stars strobe like fireflies around the driver’s seat. Glowing glyphs of letters and numbers glitch and streak across the dashboard. Have I taken that (in)famous blue pill, the newest seer to the world of the Matrix? …

Understanding past mythologies helps defang critical fans — May the 4th be with you. It’s a saying you hear people say or see on social media feeds. It’s one you probably heard recently, given last Monday was May 4th. Unless you’re part of Mark Hamill’s circle, then you also heard May the 5th, 6th, up to 9th.

Living in Fear while Dating, Dreaming and Changing the World — I see her again. I see her every Thursday afternoon between French Conversation 2 and advanced journalism. She usually sits at her table alone. Like a lot of the students do in the lounge. I can’t gather up the courage to say hello. Instead, it’s just me in a constant…