Who Am I?

I had always hated group sharing in school – always.  The other students were too dull, too immature, and just too slow, both literally and figuratively.  Being perceived as “really smart”, especially as a little black girl, from a working-class family, in a working-class city was both a blessing and a curse.  The was a … Continue reading →

The Quora Chronicles – Part 1

Sometimes, when I’m either bored or simply a victim of falling down the rabbit hole of the internet (usually quite late at night when I should be sleeping but simply can’t) I tend to pass the time reading, sometimes responding to, and occasionally posting questions on Quora. For the uninitiated Quora (according to it’s “official” … Continue reading →

Starting My “Bucket List”

Since turning 60 earlier this year, I’ve naturally started to think about a “bucket list”. For many people the bucket list is all about places to visit or experiences to have. But as a certified, “bookworm”, “bibliophile”, “reader” or just a straight up nerd, my life, since as far back as I can remember has … Continue reading →

Why We Need Political Correctness Reminder #1

This is me.  Robin Nathania Mathes Peacher Landry.  However, at the time that this picture was taken, my name was simply, Robin Nathania (pronounced by my family as “nuh-than-ee-yuh”,  which I hated and decided to change to “na-tahn-ya” when I realized that it was my name, and I could say it any way that made … Continue reading →

Motherhood Madness

“Freedom’s just another word for, ‘nothin’ left to lose’.”  Janis Joplin expressed this rather pessimistic characterization of “freedom” in the 1971 hit song, Me and Bobby McGee.” And although we, as Americans, seem to enjoy nothing more than boasting about the many freedoms that we enjoy, I suspect that more than a few of us … Continue reading →

Black Church – White Church

Red states and blue states, right wing and left, liberals, conservatives, Republicans, Democrats, Progressives, Independents, Libertarians, Green Party, Trumpers, Never Trumpers, anti-vaxxers, Black Lives Matter, Blue Lives Matter, All Lives Matter, Q-Anon, the list goes on and on.  Even though we are supposed to be “one nation under God”, it seems that we, as modern … Continue reading →

Am I Right?

Am I Right?

“Am I right?”  During my ten years as an English instructor , this is probably the most common question I receive from my students, especially when it comes to questions of grammar.  Unfortunately, however, much to the chagrin of my students, the answer is rarely a clear cut, “Yes, you are,” or “No, you’re not.”  … Continue reading →

The Upside Down Pyramid

I know that I’m getting older when I begin to notice the names of my former middle school and high school teachers filling the obituary pages of the online version of my old hometown newspaper with disturbingly increasing regularity.  It shouldn’t come as such a shock; it has been four decades after all, since I … Continue reading →

The Dilbert Way

Scott Adams, creator of the Dilbert comic strip is my hero.  Having spent twenty-five years in “Corporate America” I know of no one else who so adequately captures the utter ridiculousness of life in the modern business world.  I think what is most pathetic is the realization that there are some (usually at the uppermost … Continue reading →