essaysbysean “Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God.” The ancient Greek poet Aeschylus, quoted from memory by Senator Robert Kennedy. (footnote) … … Somedays I can’t be bothered to be a […]
How to Encourage Racism and Intolerance
seanessay.com I dimly recall the French, during their revolution, fighting for “liberty, equality, fraternity.” Meanwhile, the American founding fathers insisted on “freedom of association.” But of course every citizen is free to waste their freedom… I thought of folks I could associate with as I viewed this week, at the cheap theatre, the motion picture […]
I was Wrong to Shelter Mom
seanessay.com The ancient Chinese told a tale of a middle aged man who was very loyal to his aged parents. He played on the floor around them, like an infant, to shelter them from the knowledge they were old. I sheltered Mom, and that was wrong. During her parenting years, me and my five siblings […]
Comic strips Add to Quality of Life
seanessay.com Sometimes, I read comics while musing on the roads not taken “See you in the funny papers:” Did your loved ones say goodby that way? My brother often did. People who read the funny pages of modern newspapers don’t know what they’re missing. The four-panel newspaper comics of my day were funnier because they […]
Abuse in the Home and Community
seanessay.com “May you live all the days of your life.” Jonathan Swift, rationalist poet: (1667-1745) Physical and mental abuse, from my parents and four brothers, declined as I grew bigger. Shortly after I moved away as a teenager, and was trying to process my life, I reasoned: If I have my arms and legs chopped […]
Phonics and Whole Word, Smashed by Human Nature
seanessay.com There’s anger in New York City over the state of children’s reading ability. Recently a retired New York English professor has been bitter about the school board, under “Calkins,” teaching “whole word.” He blogged that “evidence-based” science would presumably support, instead, teaching by using phonics, as in having children read by sounding out the […]