The Social Media I Now Miss

Every once in awhile in the past decade, I’ve been annoyed when certain fads and trends have overtaken Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. In light of all the recent hostility on social media, I realized that rather than roll my eyes and scoff, I should have enjoyed the good old days while they were here. So, […]

Celebrate the First Amendment’s Birthday Like a Patriot

238 years ago today, September 25, 1789, the Bill of Rights was passed by the United States Congress. It would be ratified that December, giving Citizens of the United States protections like few in the history of the world had ever seen. They included the first amendment: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment […]

The Picture That Reminds Us of What We Could Be

One year ago today, September 24, 2016 the National Museum of African American History and Culture was opened. At it, a picture was taken that captured the hearts of America. Squarely in the middle of a heated and contentious election campaign, it showed an African American First Lady and former caucasian President sharing a tender […]

Happy Birthday To My Favorite Teacher: Bruce Springsteen

Today is the 68th birthday of Bruce Springsteen. I like birthdays. It is a time for us to pause and honor people. It is a chance to think about the person and their qualities we should try to imitate. Birthdays provide the opportunity to reflect upon the impact someone has made on your own development […]

Rotary Phones: The Struggle Was Real

As people lined up around the country today to be the first to get Apple’s new iPhone 8, it is a good day to pay homage to it’s great grandfather, the rotary phone. This was the phone of my youth, and young people today should be forced to learn about the struggle of my people: […]

Helping Women Succeed: Gentlemanly and Patriotic

Today is the anniversary of Sandra Day O’Connor becoming the first woman ever appointed to serve the United States as a Supreme Court Justice. It is also my father, Bob Hammitt’s 72nd birthday. In my mind these are two important dates, and they are related. My father has dedicated much of his life to coaching […]

“My Coach Hates Me”

Sitting on the bench is tough. It is tough for kids, tough for parents. The easy way to handle it is to shift the blame to the person in charge. The unhappy athlete will surely have the opportunity to do that, but they are passing up a real opportunity for growth. They will miss out […]

The Presidential Assassination Few Know

When it comes to history, the tellers of the story have great power. They choose what to talk about, and what to leave out. They make choices with there allotment of time, instruction, and how to present the story. There are decisions made every day by teachers, book publishers, network programming directors, movie makers, […]

A.J. Schlatter: Still Leading

A.J. Schlatter should have turned 22 yesterday. He should have been playing defense alongside his close childhood friend Sam Bodine and the rest of his Portland State brothers against U.C. Davis. There is little doubt that he would have played great. He would have stretched his performance far beyond what his physical gifts should have […]

Remember the Mayflower

397 years ago today, the “Mayflower” left England for the new world. They were 102 religious separatists that wanted freedom, and needed to find a place that would allow it to them. They had already unsuccessfully tried Holland a decade earlier, but were given only low wage and menial jobs, often treated as social outcasts. […]