Tag Archives: journalism

Five-Year-Old Me Had No Career Plan Whatsoever

Posted on March 28, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Some children grow up announcing they want to be astronauts, doctors, or firefighters. At five years old, I had no such vision. My first serious ideas about the future didn’t show up until much later — and when they did, they came with names like Bob Costas and Pulitzer Prize dreams. Continue reading →

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Teaching in the Digital Age

Posted on March 26, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Technology has made teaching faster, broader, and in many ways more efficient—but it has also introduced distractions, new demands, and challenges that teachers from earlier generations never had to navigate. Continue reading →

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The Last Thing I Learned

Posted on March 7, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

WordPress asks another one of its famously broad daily questions: “What’s the last thing you learned?” The answers range from classroom revelations to a television installation and a 1970s automotive scandal. Continue reading →

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Standing at the Crossroads

Posted on March 4, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

When I imagine the opening line of my autobiography, it begins at a crossroads between two lives: the fast-paced world of journalism and the quieter but deeply meaningful world of faith, teaching, and writing. Looking back, I realize those paths were never really separate. Continue reading →

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A Life Dedicated to Words and Faith

Posted on February 14, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

When I look back over my life, two threads keep reappearing — words and faith. From newsrooms to classrooms, from writing stories to trying to live one faithfully, those two commitments have shaped who I am and who I’m still becoming. Continue reading →

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Semantic Whiplash: When Words Change Faster Than Meaning

Posted on January 18, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Language evolves—but not at the speed of a viral trend. I’m inventing a phrase for the very thing I’d like to un-invent: semantic whiplash, when words are reassigned overnight and everyone pretends that’s progress. Continue reading →

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A Better Question Than the One We Were Asked

Posted on January 14, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Today’s question—“In what ways do you communicate online?”—isn’t wrong, but it’s thin. Before answering it, I stopped to think about what makes a question worth answering at all. Sometimes the most meaningful response is to rewrite the question first. Continue reading →

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My Long, Winding, Occasionally Uninvited College Tour

Posted on January 3, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

I attended college the hard way — with false starts, one official uninvitation, a detour through the U.S. Air Force, and a community college class that accidentally changed my life. It turns out learning sticks better when you’re finally ready to show up. Continue reading →

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Quick Thought – Sunday, December 28, 2025: Facts Lead to Truth

Posted on December 28, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

Read John 8:21-32 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”John 8:31-32 Reflect In … Continue reading →

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Why English Was My Favorite Subject in School (and Why It Still Matters Today)

Posted on November 7, 2025 by Douglas Blaine

I was never the kid who loved math or science—but give me a book and a blank page and I felt at home. Now, as an English and journalism teacher, I’m convinced more than ever that reading and writing aren’t just subjects in school—they’re the foundation of thinking, communicating, and leading. Here’s why the written word still matters. Continue reading →

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