Writings about Education and Life in New England
Back when I taught in Washington, D.C., my high school students were spectacularly bad at geography. Not only did they struggle with finding other countries on a map, they struggled with U.S. states.
They were especially bad at New England.
“Come on!” they’d moan. “Connecticut, Massachusetts — what’s the difference?”
“That’s not Massachusetts,” I’d say, glancing at their maps. “That’s Canada.”
Continue reading “The Difference Between Vermont and New Hampshire”
Not long after we began dating, my girlfriend found a photo of me with my ex.
“Who’s that?” she asked.
I’m sure that for normal, mature folks — you know, people who’ve actually had at least a couple of serious relationships by the time they’re 31 — this is still a tough question, but one you get used to answering. You learn how to be honest about your past without dwelling on it. You learn how to talk about someone you once cared a lot about, without sounding like you still care too much. You learn how to avoid saying things like, “Oh, her? Well, you were asking me why I bought this gun . . . ” In other words, you get used to answering this.