Category: Columns
Wearing a New Hat
I got really worried for a few moments. One of my sisters-in-law wanted to present me with a special gift in front of everyone at our family’s Christmas Eve celebration. I had no reason to distrust her. It’s the ones…
Music to My Ears
Americans have very few opportunities these days to band together with one singular purpose. A couple of weeks ago, however, that happened when NBC aired a live production of “The Sound of Music.” Unfortunately, I did not get to take…
Shelf the Elf
One of the guiding principles for writers is the “rule of three.” Basically, using three examples for something tends to work better, especially in comedy. But as Mike, my oldest nephew, recently pointed out, the theory also applies to parenting….
Looking for a Small Victory
As with many things I do, it seemed like a good idea at the time. On a grocery store trip a long time ago, my wife brought home an apple-flavored trail mix, granola sort of thing from the bulk food…
Parking Lot Problems
I had to travel for work recently. I don’t have to do this often so it still has some novelty involved. I have a few traditions for these trips. I try to sample as many local beers as I can….
Jell-O Confession
When I made my confession, I figured I would end up as the bad guy in the scenario. It turns out that I had completely misjudged the situation. My daughter made a special request for one of my wife’s recent…
A Plan Coming Together
As a kid, I loved the show, “The A Team.” The program fell right into my wheelhouse – great action, a token female character to run around, Mr. T and his catch phrases. But one of the great parts of…
Who Am I?
Sometimes I wonder what I have become. I still think I have my usual fun outlook on life most of the time, but come across moments where I don’t recognize myself. That happened recently when I had one of those…
Halloween Back on Track
I knew the look in her eye. I have seen it a lot in recent years as I found myself more involved in community events. The look told me that the brain was saying, “I know I can do this,…
Uniform Confusion
A friend posted a first day of school picture on Facebook recently. Her son looked ready for his first day of kindergarten at their nearby Catholic school. I recognized this kind of picture very well. In fact, I have seen…