My apologies for talking about something so serious, but well . . .People sometimes ask me what advice I would give future teachers, and it is this. If you do your job correctly, you will have trouble functioning some nights because of stuff the students tell you about their own life. The students deserve that support, and someone they can reach out to, but all future teachers must prepare. I have my students do personal narratives, and today a student wrote a 7.5 page paper that detailed, among other things, numerous instances of sexual assault. It fills me with such rage and grief, I have trouble processing it. What worsens matters is I have received many such narratives since I started doing this assignment two years ago. If you want to know why I devote my Sundays to cooking for students, this is part of why. I want to be able to provide some light in what is often a dark tunnel for my students. And to all the men and young men out there, never forget what it means to be a real man. Protect the innocent, give them a shoulder to cry on, and give them a space where they are safe and valued.

Some items carry a sense of wealth and class to the user beyond their dollar value. For me one of those items is a chilled glass mug of milk (yes I'm a moo-a-holic). It brings me back to the present and the chilled nature mandates a time limitation for which it is to be enjoyed.

I am not a fan of navy ties with navy suits for several reasons. Mainly it’s all of creativity. It also rarely matches the right tones when wearing a monochromatic outfit. It to my eyes usually looks like a guy who is very new to wearing a tie and suit (or never ventured far from that stage). However, when done rightly it can also produce a look for a seasoned dresser that represents a bold and brave approach. Here its use is neither. In the midst of 4 meetings, I attended a funeral for a passed fellow Boy Scout district board member and chose tie from Florence with fleur di lis on it (both the Florence Italy symbol as well as Boy Scouts of America). To add some interest I chose my Prince of Wales blue shirt with green accents and a navy and green pocket square to pick up those colors in the tie. Still in mourning for my friend Tim, the Guinness cufflinks felt appropriate. Navy Byford OTC socks, J Fitzpatrick captoes, and my Seiko 5 finished off the OOTD.