By Michael During the Depression, as my dad explained it, your uncle or grandfather might reach into his pocket, pull out a few coins and tell you to take one. If there was a quarter and a penny in his outstretched palm, dad said, you took the penny. If you took the quarter, you might…
Author Archives: MichaelR
Faded Memories
By Michael The girls get veto power over the memories I share on this blog, because I have the opportunity to embarrass them more than I bring shame upon myself. It’s only fair and, truth be told, they probably have some embarrassing secrets to share about me. Of course, I don’t know what those secrets…
I’ve Been Served
By Michael It seemed like a twofer. The girls wanted their ears pierced. I wanted somebody to play chess with me. In the convoluted maelstrom that is my imagination, I saw a great opportunity. Learn to play chess, I said. If you can beat me, you can get your ears pierced. Pure genius. The girls…
Protecting Their Permanent Record
By Michael Two teenagers, aged 12 and 13, are in trouble in Indiana for sexting each other. The boy is 12, the girl 13, and the incredibly evenhanded, calm and wise authorities have raised the possibility of felony charges. (For the record, my solution for child molesters involves sterilization and cremation, not necessarily in that…
Great Parenting, with one secret ingredient
By Michael If you want to be a good parent, it helps a lot to have one. Maybe two. One of my nephew’s friends posted a note on FaceBook about his dad’s birthday and said how much he misses his father. We didn’t talk about it, but I know how he feels. My dad was…
My Two Left Foots
By Michael Susan was the worst dancer in the room, maybe the worst in the world. It was retreat weekend for the show choir, when the students got together to learn how to move as a synchronized, rhythmic beast. Think Glee, but with three times as many kids. I was there with my cameras—video and…
Our Secret Society
By Michael Dwight Eisenhower noted that no battle plan survives the first encounter with the enemy. He could have said the same thing about parenthood. Jill and I had our plans lined up and our reactions anticipated. Then we carried Susan into an empty house and, somehow, we weren’t quite sure about anything anymore. We were…
Being There
By Michael You never really come to any of my programs, Susan said. She didn’t mean it literally, of course. I showed up at just about all her events (Valentine’s Day, President’s Day, spring concert, fall concert, winter concert, no-particular-reason concert, class play, science fair, Thanksgiving, Christmas, dance recital, field trips…not that I’m keeping score…
The Fix is In for 12 More Years
By Michael There’s a chapter in my new book about the way we keep score in life and our tendency to shift the comparisons in ways that work against us. The chapter concludes with the suggestion, “If you’re going to fix a fight, fix it so you win.” In most cases, we can opt not…
Let Me Count the Ways
By Michael Stephanie was having a bad day, or a bad week, maybe it was a bad month, but she mostly thought it was a bad life. I don’t remember all the details, but she was feeling bad about things and mom couldn’t make a dent, so it was my job to help her. I…