Blog

No matter what era you grew up in, you undoubtedly faced off with your folks during the turmoil and excitement of your teen years. They were so out of date, they were so stodgy, they didn’t understand what it was like to be a kid. They had no idea why you needed Izods or Abercrombie, […]

Don’t ever ask a woman when she is due. Don’t assume she’s expecting, even if you’re at “Babies-R-Us” and she’s wearing a baggy t-shirt printed with a big arrow pointing to her bellybutton that says “BABY.” You know what they say about people who “assume,” don’t you? It makes an A*S out of U and […]

You can’t squeeze a penny anymore, have you noticed? Used to be you could round off your tank to the nearest dollar. Now, every pinch at the pump gushes forth 7.9 cents or some such exorbitant number, making it impossible to top off in nice round numbers. Forget that $35.00 tank, now it’s $74.07. It […]

Mailman. Grandfather. Hairdresser. Mall. Park. Home. Purse. Computer. Idea. Nouns like these are what the world is made of. Adjectives tell us more about nouns: Reliable. Kind. Cute. Convenient. Fun. Two-story. Leather. Digital. Good. But a world full of modified people, places and things is dead without life-giving verbs. Words like deliver. Love. Beautify. Shop. […]

The list of phobias is as long and amusing as it is frightening. You’ve got your average, ordinary fears like fear of heights, confined spaces or spiders. You’ve got your funny fears like the fear of chicken, flowers, garlic or chopsticks. Then there’s the fear of opinions, ugliness or smells. I can relate. Can you? […]

“My unfulfilled ambition is to write a great novel in three parts about my adventures,” said Wendy. “What adventures?” Aunt Millicent asked. Wendy confidently replied, “I’ve yet to have them, but they will be perfectly thrilling.” Ms. Jones comes to your store like Wendy in the fabled Peter Pan, with a dream in her heart. […]

I hate conflict. So this quote by Nancy Ortberg, founding partner of Teamworx2, scared me: “Conflict is basically energy, and when it is not dealt with directly, it goes somewhere else. Unaired conflict goes into the parking lot or behind closed doors. It becomes ‘malicious compliance’ and results in artificial harmony, not deep community. Conflict […]

Bought some movie tickets online the other day, a modern-day marvel that still amazes me. We bypassed the long lines to the sold-out show and even entered the theater through a special door just for smart people like us. By the time we got home there was a thank you note in my inbox and […]

How was your day? Fine. What did you do? Nothing. Who did you sit with at lunch? Friends. Where are you going? Out. Chances are you’ve been on one end of this conversation at some point in your life, either as the sullen teenager or the solicitous parent. Make no mistake about it, this is […]

Because I said so, that’s why. It drove you nuts as a kid, but you use it as a parent anyway. Truth is, sometimes it’s necessary. It establishes authority. It saves time. It can save lives. Don’t touch the stove. It doesn’t matter why! Because I said so, that’s why! So with children (preferably your […]