Archive for May 2023

My mother didn’t allow my siblings and me to chew gum as children, so I never developed any affection for gum chewing later in life. Still, for all of my life, I have tried to blow a bubble with gum to no effect. Then Charlie walks up to me before a baseball game last week,…

Our daughter, Clara, will be entering high school next year. Alas, it will be time to get her a phone. Not only will she need to be able to stay in better contact with friends, but she may actually need a phone at times in class. After years of denying her this privilege (which has…

Numlock News is a daily newsletter by Walt Hickey that highlights the context and importance of the numbers you read about in the news. I read it every day. Not only does it teach me about the world, but it’s often amusing, too. Sometimes hilarious in a surprising and comic way, like this entry, which…

While discussing our appreciation for certain books, I said to Clara, “To each his own.” Her response: “Yup. To each their own.” See what she did? She shifted the pronoun without thought, stripping the gender from my remark without even realizing it. She did so automatically. This is a big deal for some people. Gender-neutral…

Tickets for my solo show – “You’re a Monster, Matthew Dicks” – at TheaterWorks in Hartford are going fast. I’m honored by your support. Also working hard to put together the absolute best show possible. Today is the last day to purchase discount tickets. If you order before the end of today – May 8…

This past week, Elysha and I produced a storytelling show in collaboration with Voices of Hope that featured the children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors. These storytellers told stories about their own lives while weaving in part of their descendants’ experiences as well. It was an outstanding show filled with amazing stories of struggle, heartbreak,…

For a thankfully short period of time in my late teens, I wore driving gloves while behind the wheel. Just imagine: A younger version of me, climbing into my powder blue Toyota Tercel, pulling the seatbelt across my body, then donning a pair of black leather driving gloves before turning the key and firing up…

Teacher Appreciation gifts come in many sizes and shapes. Some are heartfelt and sweet. Others are homemade and utterly endearing. Many are thoughtful, generous, and exceedingly kind. All are unnecessary but appreciated. But occasionally, a Teacher Appreciation gift can be surprising and unprecedented, like this, which I received yesterday: A can of my favorite beverage…

Next week, May 8 through May 12, is Teacher Appreciation Week: A time to thank the teachers of this country for the important work they do. I am often asked – including several times this week – what makes the perfect teacher appreciation gift, and every time, my answer is the same: When it comes…

A vice president of marketing tells me that he is “freaking out” over some of the choices in a deck design for a new product launch. The problem: Words matter. Particularly when you occupy a leadership position. If a CEO is “freaking out” over deck design – which essentially amounts to the choice of images,…