Nathan Branson
Whatever you read here is a way for me to hash out ideas until I can talk about them in real-time with whoever is willing to join in.
Three Fears I Faced While Leading at My Church
On Uncovering My Weaknesses as a Leader (and Finding Methods to Grow Stronger)
Fears about my life naturally arise at 5am on a Thursday morning that are near impossible to get rid of. Fears don’t keep me awake at night, they prevent me from going back to sleep------especially when it comes to an upcoming deadline.
This experience is more common when I am responsible for an event, a project or something where I . . .
Why Freshman Composition Teachers Should Encourage Students to Write About Their Anxiety
Freshman Composition As a Space for Self-Reflection
“Hey Mr. Branson. Is it OK if I write my essay about the effects of divorce on children? My parents are divorced, and I want to write about the impact that divorce has on a child."
For my freshman composition class, I let students write about whatever they want to write about as long as they provide me with a realistic outline. . . .
What I Learned Working at Branson’s Auto Service
Every Business has a Culture, I Hate to See This Culture Die
My parents decided to close their auto repair and tire business last week, December 21st 2018. My great grandfather JO Branson opened Branson’s Auto Service in 1959. He then handed it down to my grandfather Ed Branson, who then handed down to my father Elliott Branson. My parents have decided to close the business and then put it up for sale . . .
Posted in: business culturecivic lifemanual labormemoryteaching yourselfthe american dreamwalt whitmanwork ethic
Making the Transition from “Road Tripping" to “Vacationing in Denver”
Four Beliefs That Shape a Restful Vacation
On June 13th, 2018 at 3am, I sat on a plane completely satisfied. I felt thankful as I flew over the mid-west states, back to North Carolina. Sitting behind me were two children sleeping, traveling alone, leaned up against one another. The two women next to me had each found a way to curl up and sleep in their seat for the 3 and hour flight. . . .
Writing Poetry is About Being Aware of When to Write
And Less About Knowing How to Write Something That Rhymes
I started regularly writing poems in 2009 after two friends asked me to help them write song lyrics. My friends Zack, Marcus and I were sitting around a campfire late one night in the mountains. Zach was holding a guitar and Marcus was playing a banjo. Zack said “Nate, you were an English major. Do you think you teach us how to write song . . .
Taylor Mali's Reasons Why It Has Become Uncool to Sound like you Know What You are Talking About
The Consequences of Repetitively using "Like" and "Ya Know What I'm Saying"
"It has somehow become uncool to sound like you know what you are talking about" is the opening line to a short Youtube video (with nearly 2 million hits). I've shown this Taylor Mali speech to over 20 sections of English composition over the last 3 years. That is, I show it to all my composition classes. This semester I showed . . .
Posted in: community collegeeng 101millennialspublic speakingself-controlteaching yourselfwriting tips
The 5 Year Process of Learning How to Wakeboard
Why Being Aware of How You Learn Makes Everything Easier to Learn
I tried wakeboarding in 2006 for the first time at High Rock Lake outside of Lexington, NC. At the age of 22, I believed I could do anything. In terms of social, physical and intellectual confidence, I was at a peak. Along with that, I knew how to snowboard. The transition seemed like a given. Snowboarding and wakeboarding begin the same way . . .
