Public Ponder

What Do Teachers Really Do in Summer?

There's a widely held belief that the greatest perk of being a teacher is the long summer vacation. I'm a teacher and I agree. By perk, I mean tangible, measurable compensation: pay, health insurance,...Read More →

Death Awareness and Living a Better Life

I was at a party sitting across from my sister Sandra talking about this and that when she suddenly asked me to “Swallow.” From her expression, I knew she’d turned from sister to Dr. Mini. “You have a...Read More →

The Very Best In Me: I Am Patient and Likable, Thanks To My Special Son

It’s no secret that parenting is damn hard. It brings out the worst in you and unearths some of the best a person can give. This piece is about the latter. The Patience of a Saint “Dani has the patience...Read More →

Beliefs of Youth: How Much Do They Change?

“On the whole, our indiscriminate enjoyment of being right is matched by an almost equally indiscriminate feeling that we are right.” Kathryn Schulz, in Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error ...Read More →

Autism Travel Blog: Adventures in London and Paris

Monday, June 19, and Tuesday, June 20- NYC and London Thank You for Your Patience Nothing ever goes according to plan. The first step in our Europe trip seriously deviated from the plan. Five minutes ...Read More →

I Am Simply Human

People think I’m a good person but I’m not. There is good in me but also a lot of bad. This story is about my worst self in my role as mother of a son with developmental disabilities. I Am Selfish When...Read More →

I’m Ready to Go Gray

I seriously considered going gray three years ago during the lockdown. After much soul-searching and extensive consultation with family and friends, I realized it wasn’t time. It felt like an identity...Read More →

Autism, Superpowers, Dogs and Love

Winter is treadmill running season for me, and given my nerdy, guilt-driven personality, I can’t just watch Netflix series for entertainment. I also must watch educational type content -you know,...Read More →

Birthdays and Autism: National Diego’s Birthday Awareness Day

If you’ve read anything about Diego, you know he’s keen on birthdays, all birthdays, but especially his own. Diego's birthday fixation is unusual, not only in its intensity but also given his autism. ...Read More →

Lessons from 2022: From the Pathetic to the Great

I had a hard time deciding how to structure this list. My first thought was to start with the great and end with the pathetic, to then conclude with how I would do better or different in 2023. But the...Read More →