Author Archives: Matthew Arnold Stern
Don’t be desperate
If you want to turn off an audience, the quickest way to do it is through desperation. So why do I see so much desperation in advertisements these days? Here are some examples of emails that I received and promptly deleted. Emphasis is from the original. “This could not get any worse, Matthew…[W]ith less than …
Am I good enough?
All of us experience moments of self-doubt. We lose a contest, get passed over for promotion, or have our ideas rejected. That’s when the question pops up, “Am I good enough?” There are times when we feel that we aren’t. Our talents only go so far. We are constrained by our physical bodies. We may …
Spoons and a lesson about community
It’s hard to watch the news today without becoming consumed with rage and grief. But we want to believe there is a way out of this rabbit hole. We try to picture an ideal world that we can work towards. But how can we picture such a world when all we see is chaos, venality, and …
You won’t get over it
For you, next week will be six months. For me, next month will be 42 years. Here is something I learned in that time. It isn’t what you want to hear, and it might not comfort you, but it’s the truth you need. You won’t get over it.
What’s special about education
Later this month, my granddaughter will start kindergarten. Over the next dozen or more years, she will be expected to learn her multiplication tables, read A Wrinkle In Time, and learn about the three branches of government like anyone who doesn’t have cerebral palsy. I’m happy that she will get a public school education at a …
