Unlike Maple Crest, where I started my school career as a very blonde and very skinny boy, the middle school I attended, Burleigh Hill, is still standing. During the two years I attended Burleigh Hill, I would go from my house along roads like Townline and Rowntree, past the Stop and Go corner store to […]
‘Excuse me. May I help you?’ Read More »
Speaking about the nature of God, my students will forgive me for inviting you into a recent class. And so will Jon. My class consists of a small number of Americans who meet in my Ugandan living room once a week to learn what they can about creative writing. They get their formal credit from
‘Daddy, I want to be an artist …’ Read More »
We were talking about God – is God a ‘He?’ is God a ‘She?’ is God ‘Something Else?’ – and we all had views on this night at the campus home of these university friends with all these other friends, while our kids, the whole brood and mix of them, were in another room watching a
Of course God is not a woman … is She? Read More »
We’re at the supper table with tacos and raw carrots and mom is not around and Jon looks at Liz and asks me if it’s possible for her to have a baby. ‘No,’ I said. This was my mistake. I should have just asked for more food or let out a good belch before pushing
Am I a boob, or what? Read More »
So I’m in front of Liz’s class – I think there were three classes put together actually – and we’re talking about the media and the hands are going up, up, up. One after another, the kids tell me about this story and that one. Fires in Australia – that’s the one Liz recently “reported”
A message for Liz – Just Be It Read More »
We got home late but it wasn’t a school night so the children wanted to watch The Brady Bunch. Season 1 was a Christmas gift, one that follows last year’s main DVD take of The Flintstones. We have no television in our Ugandan home, so DVDs — some of which you can find here on
The Brady Bunch … and seeing a shrink? Read More »
Of all the myths of parenthood, one of the biggest has to be that children can make you happy and fulfilled. This, from Leslie Leyland Fields, author of ‘Parenting Is Your Highest Calling (and 8 other myths that trap us in worry and guilt.)’ The title should give any parent some pause and relief. As
Is parenting your highest calling? Read More »
‘Daddy, Daddy!’ Liz could barely contain herself. I was reading. She was going up on her tip-toes, up and down, excited, reaching forward and touching me on the arms and Daddy, Daddy! She could get four earrings and two bracelets for 5,000 shillings. That’s about two dollars. The lady was selling all sorts of things,
A good deal all around Read More »
