A few months ago, I had an idea for an uplifting Medium essay about an open water swim I completed in Turks and Caicos. I started the draft hoping to publish in one of the larger publications, like the Ascent. I knew if I included the story of my training and the race itself that I could have a substantial length essay.

I worked on the essay on and off for a few weeks. I had other ideas that were quicker and easier to write, so I completed the first. Because this swim story was near and dear to my heart, I wanted the piece to be my best work. I wanted it to reflect the whole experience and also be inspirational. …

Here we are at the end of a most challenging year. We all want 2021 to be the year of our dreams more than any previous year we have lived. Everyone is setting resolutions and creating plans for growth, success, and joy.

I, myself, have created goals and plans for the first 6 months of 2021. Overall, I want to generate more income from my writing. I want to shift toward writing as a worthwhile side hustle. I also want to lose weight, just like many of us who have been using foods to cope through the pandemic. …

Last January, I set a goal for myself. I intended to publish my first book. I had two ideas, and I hoped to self-publish one and submit another to a publishing company. I set up a calendar, I set up a monthly goal plan, and I wrote. Until, the pandemic.

As a teacher, I was overwhelmed in the spring with the switch to online school in addition to the general stress, anxiety, and isolation the pandemic lockdowns brought for all of us. The last thing I wanted to do was sit alone in my office and reflect. …

Covid’s impact on children has been overlooked during the past 9 months. We have ignored their needs and expected children will simply roll with the punches as the punches come. We expect them to learn and achieve in virtual school despite the environment. We expect they will buckle down and work hard to learn as if nothing is happening around them.

Just learn on the computer now, we tell them. Just use your computer. Even when we have in-person school, everything revolves around the virus. Wear your mask. Stay 6 feet apart. Eat lunch outside in the cold weather. Don’t talk loudly. Silent lunch inside if it is raining. …

Have you ever heard yourself asking, what can I offer people? I am not an expert in anything! I struggle with this question a lot as I write. I teach middle school what do I have to offer? If we look beyond the surface of our lives, however, I think you will be surprised to see your experiences offer vast expertise.

We are all experts.

What am I an expert in? I am an expert in transitioning students to middle school. I have been at this work for over two decades, and I have actually been professionally published on the topic. It is, admittedly, quite a niche topic. And likely, it is not one that would be successful on the Medium platform. …

On a cool October day in 2016, I sat with two colleagues and discussed the presidential election. As people who regularly engaged in politics, we were concerning ourselves with the larger impact of the election of Trump as the GOP candidate. Far ahead of our time, we wondered, was this the death of the GOP?

Fast forward four years, and here we are. Make no mistake, Trump did not destroy the GOP. Members of the party contributed to its continual decline over decades. …

My Top 4 Priorities

Imagine the end of the pandemic. We have lived so long in the midst of this turmoil it is certainly hard to even fathom going back to normal life. And yet, perhaps this is why we must imagine our lives post-pandemic. What will you value? How will your life change? What will you do that you have missed so much?

Over the course of the year, we have lost so much of our normal lifestyle. From travel to movies to happy hours, we can no longer live in the way we want. Socializing and being out in the world changed drastically. I have family members specialize in scientific research and some in the medical field. As a result of our conversations, I know this virus is not to be taken lightly, and I have remained in a tight social bubble for the past 8 months. …

On the first day, we saw her, I thought she was a bit “off”. You know, mentally. Walking along the road wearing a pink bunny costume is not a normal activity people do.

It was my first day back to work after working from home for months. I expected a lot of traffic because that used to be the “norm”, but there was none. Few schools have moved back to in-person, and those who work in the city are still working from home.

I live in a fairly rural area of Maryland. We have few sidewalks except in planned developments, and most people drive to their destination even if it is less then a mile away. Walking roadside seems odd at best. The main road through my zip code is a state highway, and we use it to get everywhere, within the area and out. …