A heart-stopping moment on a crowded beach taught me about panic, but it took becoming a father twenty-five years later to truly understand the ghosts that haunt our parents—and how quickly routine can turn to chaos.
The Longest Thirty Minutes
Doc Holliday, Piglet, and a Phone Call Out of the Blue
From rigged toilets in Lethal Weapon to quiet moments with Piglet, an unexpected call from an old friend serves as a reminder of the many different ways we support each other through the thick and the thin.
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.
Digging up pearls of wisdom
The world can be a dark and crazy place. I shake my fist in anger. And then I remember to take a step back and take stock. I replace the frustration with peace and calm and start to see that the world has a lot of good too. With clearer eyes, I amazed to find... Continue Reading →
Everything I needed to learn about life, I learned writing
My college professor handed back my paper with red ink up and down both edges. My heart sank looking at the mess. I walked out of the classroom heartbroken. I felt like my heart had been ripped out of my body. I skipped the rest of my afternoon classes. I was in no mood for... Continue Reading →
Living my best life
I told my wife that I had a voicemail from my doctor asking me to give her a call. My wife looked up and told me what I already knew: the doctor only calls if she has bad news. If the news was good, the nurse would call and leave a message. I had a... Continue Reading →
It is what it is
I put my phone down in anger. I find anymore that one quick scroll or skim of social media or the day's news headlines can bring on the bitter taste of anger and sadness. I get frustrated that others can be so close-minded and selfish. I was still seething with anger when my wife, sitting... Continue Reading →
Paying homage to All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten
When life hits back, and as we're finding out right now, it can pack a powerful punch, I find that I return to a few favorite things: God, my wife, my family, and my core belief system that goodness, kindness and hard work, and other related common everyday virtues, will win out. I may be... Continue Reading →
No control!
My wife and daughter were stuck along the side of the busy road. They had been out shopping when my wife's car started making a violent bucking sound. They pulled over and were waiting for a tow truck driver to come pick them up. Of course, the tow trucker driver was taking longer than expected.... Continue Reading →
Writing from the Heart with Brian 
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