Archive for August 2023

Clara performed in the Great Hartford Story Slam last month. Her story wasn’t scored because two of the three judges were her parents, but here’s the thing: She didn’t tell the best story of the night. She didn’t tell the second-best story of the night. But she absolutely, undeniably told the third-best story of the…

During our recent west coast vacation, I played golf with my friend, Plato, at his country club on Whidbey Island. A total of 45 holes over three days. Plato warned me that the course was challenging. It was likely I would score higher than usual. He was correct. I shot 116 on the first day.…

I’m walking through the Minneapolis – St. Paul airport. I walk past a restaurant playing music loudly enough to filter into the concourse. It’s 10:30 in the morning, so it’s an odd choice, but whatever. The song is Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It.” A beloved anthem from my youth. As I pause to…

Breakfast cheeseburger? Where have you been all my life?

Elysha has said that the best stories I tell are “Laugh Laugh Laugh Cry.” Many of my stories fall into this formula, meaning: I tell an amusing and sometimes hilarious story, making the audience think that we are on a joyous journey, but as they laugh, I am quietly, almost secretly, setting up the true…

About ten minutes into my flight to Charleston, South Caroline, the woman beside me falls asleep and flops into my seat. Her head lands on my shoulder and chest, where it comes to rest. I have a decision to make: Awaken her or let her sleep? She would almost certainly want to be awakened. To…

I’ve always hoped that my children’s lives are filled with brilliant, joyous adults who make them feel loved, respected, valued, and happy. The more, the merrier. It truly takes a village, and I’ve always hoped that ours would be enormous. And so far, Elysha and I have been lucky. Clara and Charlie have so many…

The visitor center in Muir Woods National Park features an operational payphone. Cell service in the forest is spotty, so a payphone is available if you need to call someone. Charlie has seen payphones before. He knows what they are. He’s even touched them before. But he’s never encountered one that works. In fact, this…

Charlie asks for a harmonica in the Alcatraz gift shop. My initial response is no. He plays trumpet and guitar already, but more importantly, he likes to make noise whenever possible. The harmonica would only afford him a new means to annoy us. But Charlie is also a remarkable independent learner. This summer, entirely on…

If you use Grammarly, you receive a weekly analysis of your writing statistics listing your productivity, mastery, and vocabulary. Below is a portion of my results. I don’t post mine here as a means of bragging but instead as a serious question: Is Grammarly simply offering me exceedingly positive statistics each week to make me…