🧭 Finding yourself back in familiar territory

Ep 67: A delightful homecoming, sitting in the front of the room, and the undeniable benefits of a reliable connection.

When we said goodbye to Xander in May, we did so with a Christmas with the Kranks send-off video. We couldn’t find any police at the airport to recreate the film’s pickup scene for Blair and Enrique…

But we did make our very own sign for Alexander’s return this week.

It had the intended effect, and now we’re all together again! There’s no snow here at the moment (a lot of rain, actually), but it’s still the holiday season regardless of what’s going on outside. Wishing you and yours a very happy runup to the end of the year!

Scott, Amy, Xander, and Elizabeth at ITH

A Tip for the Modern Worker

Max out your bandwidth. Don't underestimate the value of good bandwidth from your work location. Nobody likes the Max Headroom-style stuttering that can come from poor bandwidth on a video call. Do what you can within your utility’s constraints – and your fiscal appetite – to max out your bandwidth. Need to know what your bandwidth currently is? Search for ‘bandwidth speed test’ and give it a go.

This tip is one of 365 in my Handbook for the Modern Worker. I’m writing this to you at 355 Mbps (11 Mbps upload) connected to a TP-Link Deco Mesh WiFi System. The service costs $79.99 a month. A reliable connection has become necessary over the years: you miss it when it’s gone, right?

#365DayDraw

I drew this and wrote the accompanying annotation as part of my #365DayDraw project 7 years ago today.

It was Grant's first social function since his wife died. True, he wasn't ready, but he also didn't want to let Gary down.

Sounds like the beginning of a writing prompt. I have no idea what prompted the prompt, but I’m sure Grant was happy that Gary got him out of the house. Still, those silly nametags.

Commentary

Amy and I set up in the back row of the yoga studio last week. One of the other frequent participants remarked, “Oh, you’re in the back row today?” The reality was, we felt we had to be since we had to cut out early. Normally we set up adjacent to the instructor in the front row. That single interaction consumed my thoughts for the first few minutes of class before the yoga took over.

I’ve found that where I sit (or stand, for that matter), has a huge impact on my experience. Mark, one of the studio owners, says that he likes to try out all areas of the room since it gives him a different perspective. It’s true for me: I’ve had a much different experience each time I’ve set up away from my usual spot. The mirror is farther away, or the door is closer, or it’s hotter or cooler, and each little variable affects the overall experience.

I cried uncontrollably in my Calculus professor’s office during my first semester in college. I’d just received a C- on my first exam. High school came easily to me, so a letter grade south of A was a foreign concept. Samer, my professor, calmly smiled and sympathized with me, but his advice was more important than his sympathy. After I calmed down, he gently suggested I sit closer to the front of the classroom. I’d been sitting in the back, subconsciously communicating to myself my place in the academic pecking order. It was easy to be distracted while so far removed from the front of the room. Moving myself to the front row made all the difference, and I found myself back in familiar territory for future exams. Side note: Amy was also a huge factor in my math success, as we studied together most Friday evenings that semester. We’d get married 7 years later. That’s “integrating” in Calculus parlance, yes? Yep, that adds up.

Amy’s middle school classroom is set up so there’s no front of the room. Desks are in clusters and there are instructional opportunities on all walls and corners of the room. She got this idea from Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics and mixes in the factor of randomized seating. She’s able to set up and teach from the vantage point that makes the best sense for each day. Cluster seating allows students to interact with one another and collaborate more easily. Coupled with the availability of whiteboards on all walls, the clusters also hack the room so all students are sometimes in the front row, regardless of where they sit.

Different perspectives are valuable, and it’s worth getting them when you can. But as a matter of routine, I’ll always set up in the front. It’s easier that way.

Miscellanea

• 🎄 One of last week’s activities was an ugly sweater run. We had a nice time running with friends on the Black Diamond Trail, and I got to wear my Gemm shop finds (I’m second from right). And yes, they’re from the women’s rack (the men’s section was decidedly unfestive).

Ugly sweaters FTW