End of the Map

Friday, 4.20.18 36 years old 188 pounds Denver, CO On April 20, 1999, I was in a high school in downtown Rome, Italy. As part of a student learning program for Italian language students in the city of Boston, a handful of us from three different schools were flown to Italy for a nine-day tour of the country. We saw the canals of Venice, the art museums of Florence, and the ruins of Rome. We stood on the banks of the Tiber River. We climbed to the cuppola of St. Peter's Basilica. We attended mass in the plaza of Vatican City with Pope John Paul II. We ate. Oh my God, did we eat. This being a school trip, though, there were some responsibilities. We had to spend one day in an actual Italian high school, taking classes and sitting in lecture like every other Roman high school student our age. It was a challenge for two reasons. The first was that while we had been studying Italian for five years, NOTHING prepares one for the speed of the native speakers. The second was that the

Monday, 4.16.18 3:03pm 36 years old 186 pounds Bronchial health: so-so Brontosaurus health: extinct Bronte Sisters health: lively on the page Denver, CO Challenging oneself and exposing oneself to new experiences is the zest with which any good life is seasoned, no doubt. But every once in a while, a return to a familiar form, function, family, friend, or folly is a welcome relief. Our well-worn shoes are worn well for a reason, after all. It is in this sentiment and in these feelings and in this headspace that the author finds himself today, reader, and it is a most welcome homecoming. I embarked today on a new career opportunity, and while the company and people and lingo and tools and internal sites and clients are all new to me, the author is treading a path he has trodden before. We find ourselves once again, reader, walking the halls of academia, though in a slightly different garb than before. No longer is the author a classroom teacher in the traditional sense - he i

Wednesday, 4.4.18 4:42pm The author believes that he has found a direction for this blog. This is an exciting prospect, reader. There is nothing quite like watching the nebulous coalesce into something tangible. It is the author's sincere hope that you will enjoy the journey alongside him. We have only just begun!

Wednesday, 4.4.18 36 years old 186 pounds Days til WrestleMania 34: 4 Days til I start the new job: 12 Relief level: HIGH What if this? What if, when you're born, there is an archer assigned to you. The archer is your judgment. When you do something bad, Or if you do something hurtful or harmful, The archer looses an arrow from his quill And sets it on his bow And raises the weapon to aim at you And draws back the string. What if this? What if, throughout your life, as missteps or bad deeds occur, he draws back the bowstring a little farther and a little farther and a little farther And he widens his aim? The arrow points at you. The arrow points at your family. The arrow points at your children. The arrow points at your dog. The arrow points at your house Your career Your health Your car Your savings account Your spouse Your love..... What if this? Vaguely, maybe, in the back of your mind, you feel the tension. Vaguely, maybe, you're aware t