Author Archives: Carole J. Garrison

Passing It On

It’s likely that you’ve heard of pay it forward —the wonderful practice of doing an act of kindness for someone and having him or her return the favor by doing something kind for someone else. Popularized in the Kevin Spacey/Helen Hunt 2000 movie by that name, the practice has been resurrected during the pandemic. MyContinue reading “Passing It On”

“ALL” is a Four Letter Word

I have taught a class on ethics for police over the course of 36 years, at two different universities, and continue to teach the subject online. With absolute certainty, I can tell you that the vast majority of the students in my classes want to become police officers to help their communities, to help people.Continue reading ““ALL” is a Four Letter Word”

The Lie of Charter Schools

Many legislatures at the state and federal levels, claiming to be hell-bent on educational innovation, actually limit the people with the most educational experience. They thwart those who are the most knowledgeable about our students—the most committed to all children and their collective future. If they were sincere, they would increase funding for our publicContinue reading “The Lie of Charter Schools”

To Sleep or not to Sleep

Bob’s chirp—staccato and loud enough to jar me from my stupor—was followed by her ritualistic head bobbing and a softer, rolling chirping. I lay there, eyes still closed, forcing myself to listen to her gentler song, trying to wake my brain and force myself back into full consciousness. Bob began singing again and playing withContinue reading “To Sleep or not to Sleep”

Dichotomous Thinking

WHEN GIVEN TWO CHOICES, I ALWAYS GO FOR THE THIRD. I doubt that I’m the first to say that, nor do I want to suggest that other people haven’t been pondering the consequences of our dichotomous thinking in the US: like-dislike, friend-unfriend, win-lose, us-them, right-wrong, prochoice-prolife, Republican-Democrat, and now social distancing-opening up the economy. WeContinue reading “Dichotomous Thinking”

There Will Be a Sign

As I try to find inspiration for these blogs and to promote (shamelessly) the release in October of my new book, The Wanderer, I have started to rummage through old travel journals—some dating back fifty years. However, an email resurrected memories from this particular trip and the title of this blog. You might think thatContinue reading “There Will Be a Sign”