20 Seconds of Insane Courage (Part 2)
The homeless man got in Tom’s face. Threats shot through his red whiskers like poison from a cobra. “I told you to leave!” the man shouted. People...
20 Seconds of Insane Courage
There’s a scene in the movie We Bought a Zoo that I love! A dad, played by Matt Damon, asks his son how things are going with his girlfriend. When...
When My Son Almost Died
At the top of a cliff overlooking Shipwreck Beach, there’s a sign. It reads, “Warning: Diving or jumping may lead to serious injury or death.” ...
Summer Snowstorm
My friend Abbas is from Nigeria. He’s one of those guys whose smile and laughter are infectious. His eyes squint as he smiles, and his laughter...
Caught in the Coils Part 2
When Carlos offered me a smoke from his makeshift pipe, I said no. The boys laughed as he lifted the pipe toward me, and their laughter was dark,...
Caught in the Snake’s Coils
When anacondas want dinner, they ambush their prey. Their dark green skin makes them virtually invisible in the water, and when a small animal or...
The Storm I Didn’t See Coming
Storms, especially in Colorado, are hard to predict. Just ask Matt, my meteorologist friend. One moment, everything’s sunny without a cloud in...
When the Silence Screams
Sometimes the silence screams. That's what I felt standing at the podium in room 212 a few mornings ago. I had just asked my students to describe...
“I Just Want to Be Normal”
The first time Ezri surprised me was in the library. “Mr. Ahnfeldt,” she whispered. She sounded stressed, like a leaf being whipped around in the...
The Students Who Rattle Me
There are certain students at my school who make me feel uncomfortable. It isn’t because of anything bad they’ve done. They aren’t gang members...