Hammers will always fall, and some levels will seem impossible at first. But with each hammer dodged—or taken head-on—you grow stronger, wiser, and more prepared for the next challenge.
Category: Ramblings
Pages to Thrive in 2025
Ok, so my commute affords me time to listen to books. After a lifetime of reading here or there, I read or listed to 22 books in 2023 and a whopping 56 in 2024. All while earning a master’s degree and PMP certification in that time! Woof. And here we go: November Deep House Dogtown […]
How to Handle Infamous “People Are Saying” Claims
We’ve all been there. You’re in a meeting or chatting with a colleague, and someone says, “Well, people are saying…” Suddenly, you’re stuck trying to respond to a vague, faceless “people” who apparently have opinions but no names. Frustrating, right? The problem with “people are saying” is that it sounds legitimate while being frustratingly nonspecific. […]
The vibrant life within a forest
I’m a curious fella. Choose your perspective on that thought. Haha. Anyway, I asked my AI buddy ChatGPT to describe me using the characteristics of my name and of the attributes I share at the right of this page. Here’s what ChatGPT says about dear ol’ me, I mean aside from calling me old: PROMPT: […]
Not a Bore in ’24
So last year, I set a personal best with reading (also listening)… 21 books. Damn. And I started a Master’s program. Not gonna lie… doubful 21 gonna happen this year. Anyway, here we go: December A Short History of Nearly Everything Fan Fiction How Full is Your Bucket? The War of Art November Bury Your […]
Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody
This was used by a beloved undergrad professor of mine at UMass. It’s a fun parable on leadership, lessons from which I think of often. This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. […]
Wait, was I heard on Kiss 108?
Kiss 108’s Justin Aguirre scooped my office in announcing he will be Northern Essex Community College’s commencement speaker this year.
Ancestors of the Future
I’ve always believed that leadership isn’t just about titles or org charts—it’s about showing up. It’s about naming what needs to change, inviting others into the conversation, and doing the work to make that change real. That belief grounded my time at Springfield Technical Community College, where I had the honor of co-founding the Anti-Racism […]
Addressing a “tattle tale” culture
Addressing a “tattle tale” culture at work requires creating an environment of trust, open communication, and shared accountability. Here are some steps you can take to fix this issue: Understand the Root Causes Assess the Workplace Climate: Conduct anonymous surveys or one-on-one conversations to understand why employees feel the need to “tattle.” It could be […]
Alma Mater: From Fitchburg to Amherst
Ken (FHS ’67 and UMass ’73) and Keith (FHS ’93 and UMass ’98) As time goes by things that at once seemed distant, or perhaps perfunctory, claim an ever-bigger focus in one’s life. There are many reasons for this… principally life… but the death of a parent certainly can shape perspectives some.
I’m a Tau Beta Sigma sister!
The Delta Delta chapter of Tau Beta Sigma, the national honorary band sorority at UMass, honored me as one of their own yesterday. The honor was actually mine, having been inducted along with the 11 ladies of the Gamma Lambda class and also with my fellow honorees. And my deepest thanks go to my “Big […]
Dad and Elvis
January 8th. That’s one big birthday. My dad and Elvis. Fitting that Elvis was one of dad’s favorites Anyway, Happy Birthday Dad. A bunch of the extended family gathered at The Knoll today to celebrate and remember you. We laughed and we ate Chinese food and Boston Creme Pie. I hope you smiled. For those […]
413-545-1451
So it appears a lot of you are Googling this phone number and landing on this site. How do I know? I mentioned it in a post a while back about the importance of giving back to your alma mater.