Articles by Michael Cannon
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I Don’t Need a Bigger Life. I Want a More Deliberate One.
Every once in a while, usually when I’m thinking about money, work, or my family, a sentence quietly runs through…
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23–35 minutesreading
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Coming Home and Finding It Unfamiliar
A few days after moving into my Portland apartment, I checked the mailbox. It was full of mail for people…
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8–11 minutesreading
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Closing Something Good to Make Room for What Comes Next
This week I shut down my English conversation business. The sentence still feels strange. The closing is real, but it…
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9–13 minutesreading
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The Cost of Keeping My Options Open
A few weeks ago, I thought I was shopping for a $15,000 car. The idea was pretty straightforward. Pay cash.…
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6–9 minutesreading
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If You Can’t Explain the Score, Don’t Expect People to Trust It
I opened my Cosmo teaching dashboard recently and saw that I’d received a Silver badge for August. My first thought…
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5–7 minutesreading
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Paying for the Same Mistake Twice
Every month, I make payments on debt from the past year. I can make the payments. They hurt, but that’s…
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5–7 minutesreading
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For My 54th Birthday, I’m Becoming a Beginner Again
On September 1, I turn 54. This year, I’m giving myself an unusual birthday present: I’m going back to school.…
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6–9 minutesreading
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A Foggy Tale: How to Talk About a Nation’s Dark Past in English
A Taiwanese film about the White Terror era has just been submitted as Taiwan’s entry for Best International Feature Film…
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7–11 minutesreading
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I’m Trying to Build Myself Out of the Loop
I like being useful. Someone asks a question, and I know the answer. Something breaks, and I can fix it.…
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8–12 minutesreading
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Is Summer Changing How We Travel? How to Discuss Travel Choices and Trade-offs in English
Taiwanese summers can change your plans before you even leave home. When the temperature is high, you may not want…
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7–10 minutesreading