Acceptance is what Eastern spiritual traditions suggest to alleviate suffering. This directly contradicts the world I grew up in, which was based on expectations.

As a teacher and leader, I know that expectations have their place – they spur us on towards something better. At the same time, I know I suffered from expectations that were other people’s notions of “normal” or some other box they wanted to keep me from expanding out of. And now, in my thirties, I find myself disillusioned because I had unrealistic expectations of human community. So I’m sorting this out for myself.

I’m grateful for the lesson of acceptance. I’ve become calmer and more accepting of how other people present themselves.

And yet . . .

I realize that I’m really unhappy because my expectations are not met. In fact, I’m really angry. I feel like somehow I was promised a better world than I find myself in.

So this is my spiritual crisis of the moment.   more »

It's probably trucks that is largely responsible for the condition of highway bridges, and thus rail is a solution - and a cheaper one than spending on highways. It is also that many highway bridges were cheaply constructed in the first place.

There has been a lot of mention about how rail bridges have stood stout for a hundred years and highway bridges are falling down, but in fact early rail bridges were cheaply built as well, usually tall spindly wood affairs and there were many bridge collapses in the 1800's. It was the rebuilding of the network from the 1890's-1920's that was done to very high standards for which we can be thankful.   more »

Here are some subjects I am qualified to teach which could be interesting:

History of local industry (I am writing a book on it)
All about trains, historical and contemporary (I was a conductor and am a free-lance railroad journalist)
Comparative Religion (I teach this now for CCV)
Religious Questions (I can teach religion in an open non-sectarian way that allows students to explore)
Free-lance writing & Journalism (which I do, and there is no reason they can't also learn and submit for publication.)
New Media - ie blogs, facebook, etc and making them work for you (I've blogged since 2004)
Massage (I'm certified by Kripalu, teach massage at CCV and have led massage workshops for high school students)

These are all subjects that I'm enthusiastic about, but at another level what I'd be offering is myself. I treat kids as individuals and also set limits and expectations. My teaching style is experiential, aiming to multiple learning styles. I am able to establish credibility, build community and inspire.   more »