The Dangerous Lie of “That’s Just How I Am” (And How to Break Old Habits)
When the work quiets and we have a moment to ourselves, old habits sometimes stir. They lie low in the grass, just beyond our sight, waiting for a familiar thought to bring us close. Following that thought home feels natural. We lived there a long time.…
The Hilarious Joy of Language: Dangling Participles, Misplaced Modifiers, and Neobombeckianism
I have recently developed an interest in grammar. There. I said it. At my age, I suppose there are worse things a fellow could become interested in. I could start collecting porcelain frogs, arguing with the television, or wearing socks with sandals.…
When the Past Returns Uninvited: Why Remembering Isn’t the Same as Remaining
There are moments when the past returns without being invited. A song.The smell of rain on warm pavement.A particular kind of afternoon light.A voice remembered so clearly that for a second the years between seem unreasonable. Memory does that. It does…
What Cancer and Aging Taught Me About the Man in the Mirror
For the past few years, I have not particularly enjoyed the mirror. Every morning there it was waiting for me while I shaved, offering an unrequested inventory. Wrinkles. Worry lines, aptly named. Gray in the beard. Less hair, although I have taken…
The Evolution of a Writer: Discovering That Writing Is No Longer a Test, But a Way of Seeing
When I first started writing in earnest, and yes, I do understand the importance of being earnest, much of it came from emotion. Sometimes entirely too much emotion. A memory would open and there it was. Not a gentle knock. More like somebody had popped…
Where Did I Put That Box? The Exhausting, Humorous Reality of Unpacking After a Move
I have been gone since the 9th. Not missing. Not kidnapped. Not living under an assumed name in another state. Just busy. There is a difference, although at my age the distinction occasionally becomes blurry. The last few weeks have involved moving,…
Why Taking Kids to the Doctor is Actually an Extreme Sport (And Other Parental Truths)
Nobody tells you that taking a child to the doctor requires the same planning as crossing a small mountain range. You do not simply put the child in the car and go. No. First, you must locate the insurance card. Then the child’s insurance card. Then the…
Beyond the Screen: How a Simple Morning Routine Restores Our Focus on What Matters
Some mornings do not arrive with a bang but with a whisper. When you are quiet long enough, you can hear it. I tend to call it silence, but that isn’t the truth. The world isn’t silent. I am sitting at the kitchen table waiting for my coffee to finish…
The Weight of Distance: How Memories Bridge Time, Loss, and Family Legacy
Distance is a fascinating word. We usually think of it in miles. How far from here to there. How many hours on the road. How many feet across a room. But distance can also be measured in years. It can be fifty years ago. A hundred. A thousand. It can…
Why We Climb the Wrong Mountains (And How to Fix It)
This morning started with a list. Security cameras needed to go up. The locks in the garage needed to be changed. The filters on the washing machine needed attention again. Boxes from the move were still sitting around waiting to become part of the house…