A family friend (I’ll call him Sol) recently passed away in his late 90s. He outlived his wife and both his children, so it fell to me to act as the administrator of his estate. Sol got things right financially over his long life. He also neglected some easy steps that would have made life easier for his survivors. Both provide a learning opportunity.
Veterans Day is set aside to honor the men and women who have served in our nation’s armed forces. Some were heroes; others endured danger and hardship; and a few (like myself) merely “flew a desk.”
Irrespective of the circumstances of their service, we are asked to recall with gratitude the sacrifices made by all who have worn the uniform.
One of the great things about working at a college is that I am surrounded by youthful language changers. Not only do I get to hear many new expressions, but I’m also expected to step out of my comfort zone and attempt to understand, and perhaps even incorporate, some of the fresh takes on our long-established language.
At a recent school event, students introduced themselves before taking part in a discussion. Apparently standard protocol these days is for young adults to end their self-introductions with a pronoun tagline, as in…Hi. I’m Max, a sophomore at CMC. He, him, his.
Images of Calaveras, mariposas, and the adorably face-painted little boy Miguel from the Disney animated film, Coco, all take us away to a different bright and colorful place.
