CJ Woods III’s Story Archive

School Choice

June 1, 2017 | by CJ Woods III

U. S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’ May 22nd visit, and her advocacy for “school choice,” reminded me of an incident of school choice with my eldest daughter. When her parents hauled Lisa away from her friends in Madera, California, to her new home in Clarksville, Indiana, she was not … Read More

Batting Average

May 25, 2017 | by CJ Woods III

When one of the co-owners of this paper told me that she had turned my social media posts into a column called “Words From Woods,” I was stunned, then – flattered. Though I had been conscripted into the service of this publication, I embraced and celebrated my capture. I had … Read More

A Bowl of Mints

May 18, 2017 | by CJ Woods III

I was trundling a small cart toward the door of the grocery and was about to pass a women in front of me when a man’s behavior caught my eye. It was about 10 a.m. and a sunny day. The man stood facing the open driver’s side door of his … Read More

Kidnap Your Son

May 11, 2017 | by CJ Woods III

When I was living in St. Louis, Missouri, my son sent me a link to a musician he thought I might like. Hiromi Uehara is a Japanese jazz pianist, and Chris liked her animated approach to playing. I liked her music, and when I saw an advertisement for her appearance … Read More

Dancing on Wheels

May 4, 2017 | by CJ Woods III

“You know,” my boss said to me, “I think we should go to the park and learn to rollerblade.” Raeann was a practitioner of healthy habits like sweating in gyms, and had learned that rollerblading was a beneficial physical activity. I told her, “I’m in.” This conversational interplay occurred sometime … Read More