The school year kicked off and it’s nerve wracking. Many classrooms are empty and our living rooms have replaced them. Our kids are sitting in front of a device all day, and they aren’t physically interacting with anyone. They’re remote learning. And we, parents, are wondering, Will our kids remotely learning anything? And let’s face…More
Category Archives: essay
Use your mind to change your brain: changing your temperament
We all have aspects of ourselves, our temperament, that we wish we could change. Me—I’ve had a temper all of my life. It can get ugly. But that’s not the most interesting part. What is is that it has changed, improved as I’ve aged. I get angry less and with less intensity. I ultimately attribute…More
A new world: the Metaverse
Imagine living in a world where technology is so pervasive that it’s intertwined in everyday interactions and experiences, and and it is so immersive it feels as real as the room you’re in right now. It’s not on a screen, but surrounds you. That phenomenon has a name: it’s called the Metaverse. And I recently…More
Should I Get the COVID-19 Vaccine?
Headlines about vaccines are splattered all over the media these days. We, all of us, are on our toes with expectation, waiting for one to work. But we may be reaching. And even if one works, that doesn’t mean it’s safe. When I was younger, before this pandemic, I never thought about vaccines. When my…More
Overcoming one of our greatest obstacles: ourselves
Our lives are determined not just by what we think but how we think. Before I started writing I used to believe I couldn’t write. It probably had a lot to do with the fact that my high school papers, after being graded, had so much red ink on them that they looked like someone…More
Why we started a cookie business
Sometimes when things are terrible it’s necessary to start something delightful. So last month my wife and I started a cookie business. It’s an online store that sells gourmet gluten-free and vegan freshly baked cookies. They are made from incredible ingredients: organic this and organic that. And they are delicious. I’m the taste tester, so…More
Things got weirder
These past few days things just got weirder. An image of a married couple brandishing firearms and pointing them at people who were peacefully protesting shocked me. They live in my city. They’re not far from me, which only added to the weirdness. These people, who are basically my neighbors, looked like some strange mash…More
Get things done when working from home (even with kids)
Working from home can sound fantastic, with all of that freedom and no commute, but it’s not always easy. Sometimes it can feel impossible. But it’s not. Yes, you get to roll out of bed and be at your desk in a couple of steps without even needing to put a shred of clothing on…More
You can win at life by doing this
Sometimes life is hard and feels impossible. But that’s when you should stop thinking about your life and focus on today. Don’t try to tackle life, that’s too much to take on all at once. That’s how you get overwhelmed, depressed, worried. Instead, just attack what you need to do at this moment: the tasks,…More
Your world is changing: Dealing with Coronavirus
Quarantine, pandemic, respiratory droplets, contagious, viral (in a bad way), and death are words swirling around the media, and we shouldn’t ignore them. My family basically hasn’t left our NYC apartment for a week. My last venture out to a destination where people congregated, like a restaurant, was with a friend at a ramen shop…More
John Pa 