Left to my own devices

Yesterday marked a touchstone moment in the U.S., as students across the country participated in " walkouts ." This was an occasion for students to express an array of thoughts and emotions, ranging from a desire for stricter gun control, to simply sorrow over the loss of so many of their peers to school shootings. They were peaceful protests, but protests nonetheless. Where you're at on the spectrum of agreeing or disagreeing with what they did may vary, though not wanting to get shot in your school seems pretty reasonable to me. Some folks have taken to sharing a meme on social media platforms this week -- in direct anticipation and response to the walkouts -- that encourages students to "walk up, not out." Following are suggestions provided for the walk ups: Walk UP to the kid who sits ALONE and ask him to join your group Walk UP to the kid who never has a voluntary partner and offer to be hers Walk UP to your teachers and thank them! Walk UP t

It's International Women's Day , certainly a time to reflect upon, admire and support the women in our lives and across the world. Sometimes folks scoff at these special days, or months, where we choose to focus on and celebrate gender, race and sexuality, but such occasions are often necessary, if only -- at the very least -- to remind us to appreciate the people who we inhabit this planet with. Looking back on my life, it is the women to whom I always bonded with most often, who tended to welcome me more, who were simply more relatable. Part of that, of course, has to do with me, and the rest is down to either a quality innate to womanhood, or our particular societal gender norms. Or something else. Regardless, women are awesome (as if that needs saying, though sometimes -- unfortunately -- it does).