Last week, I met up with an old friend. We haven't seen each other in 45 years. Oh, we've crossed paths at the movie theater several times over the years. But, we haven't had a chance to sit down and connect over a soda or coffee since the early 80s. Sure enough, we picked up... Continue Reading →
Traveling in the eye of the storm
(I first wrote this story in September 2020. I've made a few updates.) The young woman wore a white lab coat. She smiled back at me. Before she even said a word, I could see she had no idea what I had just asked. I was more than 3,900 miles from home and I was... Continue Reading →
Hitting the books!
(I ran a version of this story in July 2019. I'm seeing a lot of parents on social media talking about sending their kids off to college. This seemed like a good time to rerun it.) I sprinted ten yards. I stopped quickly to a brisk walk for a few paces. Then, I sprinted again... Continue Reading →
A brave new world
It's that time of year. Local high school kids are celebrating their graduations. Every time I look on social media the past week or so I keep coming across graduation pictures. There's one of a mom and dad and the man or woman of the hour. Gotta get one in there too of grandma or... Continue Reading →
Who’s got your back on Difficult Days?
There's an often told A.A. Milne story about Winnie the Pooh having a tough day. Piglet asks if he wants to talk about it and Pooh says that he doesn't think he does. Piglet says that's okay, but instead of walking away, he sits down next to his friend. Pooh's not sure what's going on... Continue Reading →
An elementary school injustice!
My brothers didn't get pulled out of class. My friends Dana and Robby didn't get pulled out. None of the kids who sat near me had to go either. I walked out of my class, my fist in a ball, angered by the injustice. Every week from second to sixth grade, I had to leave... Continue Reading →
The simple skills we fail to learn in high school
(A version of this story ran on March 20, 2016.) My day had not started well. I forgot that I needed to drop my son at school and I was running late to work. I still needed to make a few tweaks to a presentation I was giving later that morning and I desperately needed... Continue Reading →
My refuge from the rain & thunder
(A version of this post ran in April 2019.) When I ran into trouble in school, when I felt like I didn’t fit-in with friends, when life seemed challenging, one place served as a refuge. When I struggled as a kid, I had one place I could go to get away. I liked the baseball... Continue Reading →
Let’s try this again: Paying homage to All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten
(A version of this post ran in April 2020.) When life hits back, it can pack a powerful punch. In those moments, I find that I return to a few favorite things: my faith in God; my wife and my family; and my core belief system that goodness, kindness, and hard work will win out.... Continue Reading →

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