Driving Backwards
Our 1972 Toyota Corona station wagon lived a tough life when I was a kid. From the factory, it came with an AM radio and no AC. How much fun can anyone have with that? While other families had Oldsmobile…
Forever Twenty-Bucked
If you’re like me, you almost never see it coming. It’s a bolt out of the blue, a maddening surprise, a whack across the back of the head when you least expect it. And there’s nothing to do but hunch…
Dads and Passing Time
Not too long ago, I joined a small group of dads for some post-bedtime drinks at a local pub. We chatted about podcasts. We chatted about sportsball. And after a couple of drinks, the conversation shifted to talk about our…
The Real Thing
Atticus, you need a sport.” “Is rock ‘n roll a sport?” We were having a bedtime conversation. But before I answered, I thought about Mick and Keith, who still throw themselves across the stage and do all those high kicks.…
A Coach for All Seasons
“Jump!” I could hear him yelling up at me as I stood there shaking at the top of the high dive. I was ten years old and suddenly higher up than any tree I’d ever climbed. The water in the…
The Girls on the Bus
When my wife Kat and I were beginning our lives together, we didn’t know much, but we did know we wanted to live in a city. Suburbs are fine, but they weren’t for us. Growing up in the Northern Virginia…
Nanny Mussolini
All right, c’mon, now, hurry up, kids! We need to get cracking – beds made, wastebaskets emptied, fresh towels on the racks. And would someone please find a clean washcloth and set it on the edge of the tub? Your…
Renaissance Sleepover
Dad, I want to go to Diamonds Direct.” “Why?” “Because I need a crystal to make a lightsaber.” The engine of any Jedi’s sword is a special gemstone that bottles The Force and turns it into a beam of lethal…
Red Roses for You
I know, I know. It seems like it might cost a lot. Plus, they’ll just dry up and start to droop after a few days. And she already knows you love her, so why must you prove it again and…
