When I was a kid, my parents watched the CBS Evening News every single night. Walter Cronkite would sit behind his massive anchor desk and, in his calm, authoritative voice, update the world on the day's events. Inevitably, whenever Cronkite touched on a serious earthquake in a far-off land, a crooked politician going to jail, or some... Continue Reading →
Why Are We So Bad at Vacation?
There’s the churning stomach. "If I can just get to Friday evening." I have the classic 1981 Loverboy song "Working for the Weekend" playing on a loop in my head. But then there’s also the excitement. "Time away to relax and chill." Vacation time is a funny thing in the U.S. We take work entirely too seriously,... Continue Reading →
Check Engine Lights and Churning Stomachs
Featuring a freezing winter night, an AMC Concord, a Renault Encore that took a permanent French "lie-in," and a 35-mph speeding turtle. A look at the visceral panic of unexpected car trouble, and how a lifetime changes the way we handle the shock.
If there were 100 people in the world?
(A version of this story appeared on September 6, 2023 on The Heart Of The Matter. ) When I was a young kid, I was small for my age. We'd line up at the start of the year, smallest to the tallest, and I would always be one of the shortest boys in my class.... Continue Reading →
Light as a feather
I wasn't looking for hope, but I found it. I was thinking a couple weekends ago about a new adventure that I've found myself on. I was thinking about both rapid and calm waters. Of course, I was in my own head analyzing every action and inaction a million times over. An AI image of... Continue Reading →
What My Coach Got Wrong About Winning
What if coming in second isn't failure, but preparation? A reflection on pee-wee football, Vince Lombardi's actual advice, and why effort is what truly moves us.
How a curious little monkey changed the world
(A version of this story appeared on September 7, 2023 on The Heart of The Matter. ) When I was very young, I would crawl into my mother's lap wearing my onesie pajamas and beg for a glass of milk and for her to read to me. I had a series of favorite books, everything... Continue Reading →
A Return to the Movie Theater
A childhood memory of seeing Star Wars in 1977 serves as a reminder of what the movie theater experience used to be—and why great storytelling will always beat empty Hollywood explosions.
100 MPH in Slow Motion
I could see the car crash coming. It was right there in front of me—driving 100 mph and in slow motion. This is what happens when a high-stakes presentation becomes a corporate battlefield, complete with a smirking antagonist and a lifelong stutter determined to prove who’s boss.

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