Category Archives: Random

The Best Part Isn’t Behind You

Posted on August 11, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

If my future self could send me one sentence, I wouldn’t waste it on baseball, bourbon or investment advice. I’d want reassurance that there is still something ahead worth walking toward. Continue reading →

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The Best Local Dish I’ve Had While Traveling

Posted on August 10, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

WordPress seems to think I travel like Anthony Bourdain. I don’t. But one steak Tampiqueña in Nuevo Progreso, Mexico, became a travel-food memory that survived the test of time. Continue reading →

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Teach Them How to Think: What Schools Should Really Teach

Posted on August 9, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

If I could add one thing to what schools teach, it wouldn’t be another subject. I’d spend more time teaching students how to think, question evidence, listen carefully and admit when they’re wrong. Continue reading →

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The Story Between the Lines: The Woman at the Bank

Posted on August 8, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Her childhood was marked by fear. Her first dream ended in disappointment. Then one unexpected moment at a bank opened a door she never saw coming. Continue reading →

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Her Royal Highness Is Resting

Posted on August 8, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Princess has mastered the art of getting comfortable. Her favorite chair, her favorite blanket and her complete confidence that the rest of us will simply work around her make her uniquely Princess. Continue reading →

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Don’t Let the Ball Hit the Ground

Posted on August 7, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

One of the best principles I’ve tried to follow is simple: Don’t let the ball hit the ground. But after years of catching whatever came my way, I’ve learned that good advice needs an important second line: Make sure it is actually your ball. Continue reading →

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I Don’t Need Every Student to Like Me

Posted on August 6, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

I still care whether my students like me. But after ten years in the classroom, I no longer believe that being a good teacher means making every student happy. Continue reading →

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What I Choose to Think About: Finding Joy After Loss

Posted on August 5, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

I will never be happy that my mother died. But I can choose to see more than what cancer took. Her love still bears fruit through my daughter, my grandchildren and the generations that follow. Continue reading →

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Ten Places, Assuming Time and Money Cooperate

Posted on August 4, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

WordPress asked for my top ten travel destinations, which sounds less like a simple prompt and more like a long-range financial plan. Still, assuming time and money cooperate, I have a list. Continue reading →

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What’s My Favorite Quote? WordPress Asked Me Again

Posted on August 3, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

I answered this question on May 1, and I have not collected an entirely new set of life-changing quotations since then. Apparently, WordPress would still like an update. Continue reading →

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