A New Month, Old Posts, and Everyday Thankfulness

Tomorrow I’m heading back to work, and before anything else, I want to get something out of the way. I don’t celebrate Thanksgiving. It’s not because I’m against the idea of gratitude. It’s the opposite. I don’t think thankfulness should be something you pause once a year to recognize. Every morning you wake up is a gift. Every day you open your eyes and realize you’re still here is another day to appreciate the people in your life, the opportunities you’ve been given, and the small things that keep you grounded.

And with that in mind, I’ve been thinking a lot about what I’m genuinely thankful for.

I’m thankful for my wife. I’m thankful for my son. And I’m thankful for this Substack. Even though I haven’t posted as often lately, I’m grateful that this space exists. It’s become an outlet where I can write, reflect, ramble, and somehow people respond positively. That means a lot. (You know who you are…The Video Game Storyteller, Joe, ROP, Scanlines, Alex Antra, Margot, Jam Master J, Alex Stasenko, and everyone else I forgot to tag.)

This Substack has always been a mix of education, gaming, teacher life, and whatever else is on my mind. If you’ve been following me here in the Learning Arcade, thank you. I truly appreciate it. If you’ve ever read something of mine and found it interesting, helpful, or fun, feel free to share it. It helps more than you know.

As we head into a new month, I want to bring some of my older posts back into the spotlight. I’ll be re-stacking one older article every day. Not because I’m out of ideas, but because those pieces still matter, and maybe they’ll reach someone who missed them the first time. If you’re new here, read them. If you’ve been around a while, revisit them. And if you have suggestions for how I can improve, I’m always open to it. Writing is something I want to keep getting better at.

And yes, I do use AI, but only as a tool. I write everything myself first, then use AI the same way we all use Siri, autocorrect, or Grammarly: to clean up grammar, check clarity, and make sure what I’m saying makes sense. This isn’t “write an article for me” AI. It’s editing support. If you’ve wondered about that, now you know. Don’t hate AI. Hate the sloppy use of it. Actually, don’t hate anything. Just scroll away. If you see AI slop, unlike it so the algorithm learns. Easy.

Before I wrap this up, I want to mention something important. I’ve been participating in a fundraising campaign through Extra Life to support Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. I’ve already donated myself, and if you want to support me, you can help with a miracle donation. Every little bit helps real families and real kids. Here’s the link if you want to join in:

https://www.extra-life.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donordrive.participant&participantid=549127

I also want to challenge myself to write more consistently. I think 2026 is going to be an interesting year for this Substack, and I’m excited to keep growing and learning through each post.

Thanks for reading. Thanks for being here. And here’s to whatever comes next.