ByJustin Cox Seasons of Love, the opening song to Broadway’s Rent, is one of the most popular musical numbers of all time. The show follows a group of friends living through the AIDS pandemic in the late 80’s New York City. The opening song, reprised multiple times throughout the show, proclaims the ups and downs of a…
ByJustin Cox I was an anxious kid. Nothing was diagnosed, but I would worry about things outside my control. Nothing in particular, just the possibility of something happening. My anxiety was manageable for the majority of my life. Then I began working with teenagers. Fifteen years taking kids on trips, some of them overseas, heightened my anxiety,…
ByJustin Cox The higher education bubble is finally bursting My freshman year of college began in late August 2001. Less than a month into my pseudo-adulthood, the entire world changed. None of us knew what was happening on September 11th. We huddled together in dorms to morn and vent and seek answers together. Classes adapted to discuss terrorism…
ByJustin Cox Wanderlust (n): a strong desire to travel. A lot is going on in Florida right now with Hurricane Isaias is off the coast. Our COVID numbers continue to spike, leaving many of us to wonder why schools are opening. The global pandemic’s toll goes far beyond infection rates and body counts. There is a massive mental…
ByJustin Cox Did the coronavirus force us into an authentic form of social media? Five years ago, Essena O’Neill, an Australian teenager, earned $2,000 per post on Instagram. More than 600,000 followers looked at O’Neill for advice and inspiration. Then she abruptly quit social media. Deleting over 2,000 pictures, O’Neill said social media was “contrived perfection made to…
ByJustin Cox I spent 22-hours in the hospital last weekend Saturday evening while on our family’s weekly FaceTime call, I moved wrong and fell over on the couch. There was shooting pain across my entire low back and I could not put any weight on my legs. It was bad. You see people on TV shows complaining about…
ByJustin Cox Earlier this summer, a high school senior interviewed me about the pandemic. One of their questions asked if the coronavirus proves governments should fund STEM/scientific research over the arts, particularly in schools. Here’s how I answered: This pandemic is proving the vital need for STEM research and scientific funding. These areas are crucial investments at…
ByJustin Cox A few things I’ve learned while working from home Yesterday was my final day of quarantine. Today I begin a new job helping nonprofit companies launch and grow. I’m moving back into an office environment and leaving the work from home life behind. (Don’t worry, I’ll continue to manage The Writing Cooperative on nights and weekends.)…
ByJustin Cox Pop quiz, hotshot. Dennis Hopper as Howard Payne in Speed Speed is a 1994 action movie about a bomb on a bus. If the bus’ speed drops below 55 miles-per-hour, the bomb explodes. Keanu Reeves’ character, a rash cop named Jack, helps get all the bus passengers to safety while catching the bad guy. Annie,…
ByJustin Cox The global COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic caught most of the world off guard. It’s a terrible virus, and I hope you’re doing everything possible to stop the spread and stay healthy. But, as John P. Kotter said in his book, A Sense of Urgency, leaders should not let a good crisis go to waste. The coronavirus,…