You can’t make anyone embrace decency by force — I found Ryan the mechanic slumped over his workstation and I felt a sharp stab of concern. We’ve developed a friendly banter over the years even though I only see him when I get my oil changed. “Are you okay?” I asked in a friendly tone. “You look tired.” “I…

The ability to participate in uncensored communication with your fellow human beings is a human right — I saw a post criticizing Megan Rapinoe and foolishly left a response in her defense. “She’s an American champion and a heroic public figure,” I wrote. Later on, I discovered that the individual who posted the initial criticism had over 200k followers. The next morning, I awoke to find them…

There’s nothing “noble” in declaring your tone-deaf indifference to the realities of human suffering — My wife’s father grew up on a small farm in rural Peru. He was the second son, and when he turned sixteen, his parents told him his older brother would inherit the family property. Realizing he faced a life of labor with no chance at personal advancement, he got up…

When navigating the internet, you must be brave, keep scrolling, and never look back — Yesterday one of my readers left a comment that my work sometimes made him depressed. He kindly emphasized that he felt my writing was important, but mentioned that the depressing state of our dystopian reality can be too much to take in all at once. In the past, I have…

The war on education has more casualties than any other conflict in history — I remember my first days as a young teacher. There was one student that the staff recognized as being highly intelligent. I was excited to meet him, but I was surprised to discover I felt slightly intimidated on the first day of class. He came in quietly and took his…

What happens when nobody remains to assault those who refuse to stand for the anthem? — During my days as a reckless youth, I once found myself riding a bus up a mountain in South America. Except for a tiny abandoned hut, the landscape consisted of nothing but rocks and sand as far as the eye could see. There were no people, no signs of civilization…

If you choose a revenue insecure profession, your whole life becomes a side hustle — My wife and I were curled up on the sofa, about to watch a movie, when my kids started screaming. “Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! It’s the end of the world!” Instantly, my wife, the dog and I accelerated up the stairs, barely touching the floor as we ascended. The dog was…

We’re thanking the wrong group “for their service” — I’ve learned that scrolling through social media is an effective way to perceive how social programming has gone awry. My conclusion is that whatever narrative is being shared on the feed represents the opposite of what a sustainable society must embrace. Yesterday, every other post was a message to veterans…

My successful marketing strategies brought us more attention than we could handle — Running a small business is scary, particularly if your business is in retail. I found that out back in 2011 when I became the minority owner of a small bicycle shop. Bills are as regular as the dawn. You’ve got to deal with payroll, insurance, rent, invoices, loan payments, the…