Author Archives: SamMooneyham

I credit standardized tests for introducing me to ethical relativism (and before my philosopher friends take exception to my use of the term, I know I’m playing fast and loose with its definition!). The College Board had no idea that it rocked my adolescent world by asking me, on the multiple-choice section of the test,Continue reading “The SAT and Other Life Tests”

I don’t mean to come across as arrogant when I say this, but no one has better friends than I do. Long before Leslie Knope instituted her annual “Galentine” celebration or Brene Brown talked about people who will get down “in the arena” with us, my friends have been lifting me up with their constancy,Continue reading “In Praise of Galentines”

I roped Mama into a life of crime when I was only fifteen. I took full advantage of her seamstress talents and love for me to convince her to commit fashion fraud and elevate my humble wardrobe to full-blown designer status. Not long after Pam in ninth-grade English put my discount store cardigan on blastContinue reading “Roots and Wings”

The ubiquity of and access to social media have made armchair philosophers of us, and while it can become tiresome when oft-shared bites of wisdom in the form of catchy memes flood our newsfeed, if having a ready-made audience of “friends” encourages some sincere reflection and self-awareness, then bring it on, I say. Among theContinue reading “Arrive with Every Step”

Earlier this week Best and I were hiking at one of his favorite destinations (“favorite,” according to him, is defined by an abundance of stinky stuff in which to roll, sticks to carry, and animals to chase). Even on the busiest day there we’ve only encountered one other person on the trail, and as itContinue reading “What Wine Pairs Best with Humble Pie?”

In the kingdom of non-human animals it is called “aggressive mimicry” when there is an intentional attempt by one being to lure another by appearing to be something it is not. The Anglerfish is often called to mind when considering this deadly trickery, and while it is creepy and dreadful to watch an unsuspecting fishContinue reading “To Thine Own Self Be True”

With snow squall warnings blaring from my phone and 100+ mile an hour wind rattling my truck windows, not for the first time I questioned my life choices as I white-knuckled the steering wheel en route to our daily hiking destination. “Our” being my dog Best and me, who were surely the only two soulsContinue reading “Love Unflinching That Cannot Lie”

“Dr. Mooneyham, I have submitted the essay you requested and would like you to replace the zero from the gradebook because I’m very worried about my score. Please let me know as soon as you do this.” This recent call to action from a student of mine kicked off the time of the semester dreadedContinue reading “No Really, My Dog Ate My Homework…”

To the uninformed, it might appear that there is a content, snoring dog currently stretched at my feet. While this observation is not inaccurate, it is incomplete. My furry shadow does his species proud with his knack for finding the most putrid of substances in which to roll and his unerring internal clock that alertsContinue reading “To be Back in Eden”

Millennials and Gen Z are often criticized as being “snowflakes” by those who occupy more senior generations, but I tell you, I think a lot of what us old timers mistake for their (over) sensitivity is an acute awareness of which behaviors they find intolerable and where their boundary lines are drawn. Truth be told,Continue reading “I’m Not Kicking That Football, Lucy”