My compilation of writings, Whatever the Art of Moving On, is in the process of being edited. In a previous blog, I shared that the first story, “Black and White,” is a fictional version of a school shooting in progress, and I shared some excerpts from a memoir about reactions to the Sandy Hook shooting… Continue reading A School Shooting in ’93
Author: Ernie Quatrani
I taught in the Upper Perkiomen School District for thirty-nine years, where I was also heavily involved in co-curricular activities, including the school newspaper, TV studio, and baseball. After retirement I published a fictional novel about a school shooting in progress--Internal Lockdown.
My work has been published or is forthcoming in The Main Line Times, The News of Delaware County, The Catholic Standard and Times, North Dakota Quarterly, r.kv.r.y., Apalachee Review, Green Hills Literary Lantern, and The Town and Country. I was married for 40 years and had three kids. My wife and oldest son died six months apart. I am now remarried to another widow.
The Blessing Jar
One of the strategies to “non-entitle” children is for parents to teach and encourage gratitude. There are several great suggestions in the article “11 Strategies to Raise Kids Who Aren’t Entitled” on the MindBodyDad blog site. Suggestions include thank you notes, reflections, and the articulation of things to be thankful for. This past Christmas, I… Continue reading The Blessing Jar
Let Them Feel Discomfort
In the last post, we introduced an article from MindBodyDad: “11 Strategies to Raise Kids Who Aren’t Entitled.” So, what are those strategies? Let’s look at three of them. First, say no! A tried and true strategy. “Every time kids hear ‘no,’ they’re learning to handle disappointment, navigate frustration, and accept that the world doesn’t… Continue reading Let Them Feel Discomfort
The Costs of Entitlement
Interesting posting today–as always–on “MindBodyDad,” a blog created by my nephew, Brian, who is an OT at Magee Rehabilitation in Philadelphia. The title: “11 Strategies to Raise Kids Who Aren’t Entitled.” IMHO, entitlement is a major, major problem caused by some parents and consequently affecting all aspects of wider society, including the schools. I saw… Continue reading The Costs of Entitlement
Raise Your Hand
Raise your hand if you have never heard of Ed Roberts. Raise your hand if you have never been called a vegetable. Raise your hand if you have never organized a nationwide–and then a worldwide–movement to enable disabled people to live independently. Raise your hand if you did not know that approximately 70 million U.S.… Continue reading Raise Your Hand
Be Kind
Did my semi-usual Thursday morning shopping trip to the Acme in the Manoa Shopping Center this morning. As I was wheeling down the cereal aisle, I noticed a guy with a big video camera near the front registers. I couldn’t tell what was up, so I made a U-turn and headed in the opposite direction.… Continue reading Be Kind
School Shootings
As I wrote in the previous post, I am working on a compilation of my writings over the years, Whatever: The Art of Moving On. One of the things I wrote about is school shootings, spurred by a fatal shooting in our biology lab—five years before Columbine—at the high school where I taught for 39… Continue reading School Shootings
Whatever: The Art of Moving On
After several years of relative writing inactivity—save for my reporting for the Town and Country newspaper—I’ve gotten into a pretty good groove lately. I am on the path to self-publishing my writings for the last 50 years or so by consolidating them into a paperback. This is definitely a legacy project, perhaps being distributed to… Continue reading Whatever: The Art of Moving On
Some Good Days
Since we have been discussing Flynn and his neurodiversity issues, let’s focus on some good news. His grandmother reported that Flynn had a great time at his first Philadelphia Flyers hockey game recently. He enjoyed the game experience, highlighted by a special perk that allowed him to order food with the press of a button… Continue reading Some Good Days
The Q-View 