Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

What change, big or small, would you like your blog to make in the world? Once again, the prompt kicks in an earworm that will be with me the rest of the day. As for the prompt itself: I’ve become a bit cynical over the years about effecting change in the world. I spent 31Continue reading “Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes”

How to Describe Me?

How would you describe yourself to someone? This is a tough question. As humans, we identify ourselves in different ways, and for different reasons. A professional bio reads differently than a dating profile, for example, and it’s possible that something from the former could scare away people from the latter. (Though one time I didContinue reading “How to Describe Me?”

Apokalypse Soon?

What are you most worried about for the future? When I retired, I planned on travel and creative projects. I’m working on both. But always nagging somewhere are fears for the future. And not those little things like cancer or knee transplants. Global things. Worldwide, there’s global climate change. Grow a garden and you canContinue reading “Apokalypse Soon?”

Rod Stewart Again?

What makes a teacher great? The answer to today’s prompt also prompted a return of the Rod Stewart earworm from a few weeks ago. “Passion.” I always read my student evaluations, and of course always reacted poorly to negative comments. I think most college professors are more sensitive to those than the positive ones. WeContinue reading “Rod Stewart Again?”

Those Who Don’t Want To Do Any Longer…Teach

There’s a phenomenon I’ve observed that happens frequently in the creative world. Someone gets something established, maybe a podcast, runs it for awhile, and then decides to become a consultant to help others get their offering up and running. There’s nothing inherently wrong with this. They’re using their expertise to help others, and maybe avoidContinue reading “Those Who Don’t Want To Do Any Longer…Teach”

Pick ONE!

Another birthday passed. Last year I used a reference to “I Can’t Drive 65!” by Sammy Hagar. This year I am saying that I’m starting out getting my kicks on Route 66. I believe this will exhaust the birthday highway messages (unless I usher in next year’s day with “Life is a Highway”). On aContinue reading “Pick ONE!”

Firebird? Sweet!

Describe one of your favorite moments. This is one of the seminal moments in my teaching career. I was taking Music Appreciation with Lou Silverblank at Temple University; the class was required for my Theatre major. One of our assignments was to attend two live music performances. I hated this idea. I was in theContinue reading “Firebird? Sweet!”

Summer Better Than Others

What is your favorite season of year? Why? Of the seasons, I prefer summer for a variety of reasons. We’ll get to those reasons in a moment, but let’s look at the cons of the others. Winter has cold and often snow. Although I did some sledding as a child, this was not as fulfillingContinue reading “Summer Better Than Others”

Jobs?

What jobs have you had? Today’s prompt asks what jobs have I had. For the last 31 years, I was a college professor, teaching a variety of courses in Theatre, Mass Communication, Speech Communication, and English Literature. Not to mention creating a certificate program in Arts Entrepreneurship. But before the PhD—and even during my pursuitContinue reading “Jobs?”

Legacy

What is the legacy you want to leave behind? Before my retirement, several people got together to throw me a surprise retirement party before the Saturday performance of my last show on campus. In attendance were students from my 17 years at the campus, representing a wide range of productions. Several of them had incredibleContinue reading “Legacy”