Mar 5, 2019We are all just a stumble away from Death’s bony graspSo why aren’t we running from him? — Luke Perry is dead. Luke Perry is dead, and all I can think about is my inevitable demise — me, chilling in a pine box, doing nothing but rotting out and providing nutrients for bugs and soil. Well, that’s not entirely true: I also recall Perry’s five minutes in The…Death2 min readDeath2 min read
Dec 20, 2018Allow your writing to be dangerousBecause the middle ground is a dead zone — After an extended break from writing — for pleasure, anyway — I’m back. Whether that’s for better or worse is for you to decide. What was the spark that lit a proverbial fire under my scrawny ass, you ask? Well, it was a blog post — specifically, this one: The semicolon is pointless, and it’s ruining your writing Stop using it now. Smash that key on your keyboard if you have to.writingcooperative.comWriting2 min readWriting2 min read
Apr 19, 2018Member-onlyI want a tiny goddamn houseAfter shrinking my digital footprint, I’m ready to go even further — I have too much shit. There are the DVD box sets that are collecting dust on our built-in entertainment center—remnants of a time when people actually used physical media. Then there are countless books bearing the teeth marks and spilled-milk stains of both our daughters. They, mostly, sit unread. And…Tiny House2 min readTiny House2 min read
Apr 10, 2018Member-onlyThe not-so-delicate art of digital suicideHow I learned to stop giving a shit and delete all social media — I just did the social media equivalent of packing up all my things and leaving. Not one hour ago, I requested all my Facebook data. …Social Media2 min readSocial Media2 min read
Apr 5, 2018Member-onlyThe one luxury you can give yourselfUnless you’re dying of some terminal illness or something — I had a stress-free morning. After a quick shower, I made my family some breakfast, saw my wife out the door and got the girls ready for school and daycare. …Productivity2 min readProductivity2 min read
Apr 3, 2018Member-only3 reasons quitters always winOr why it’s okay to pump your brakes on occasion — I was slumped back in a chair at the Glasgow Marriott when my wife regarded the lump of flesh attempting to hop the border of my shirt. “Is that your gut?” she asked. I looked down at my paunch. “I guess it is,” I replied. At first, I was perplexed…Running3 min readRunning3 min read
Apr 2, 2018Member-onlyMy children have been replaced by other, stranger childrenA shallow analysis based on very little evidence — Last night, my oldest daughter, Nadia, asserted that the Earth was flat. She refused to tell us who put this idea in her head, which either means she’s being secretly brainwashed or she has a five-year-old’s understanding of the world. …Parenting2 min readParenting2 min read
Mar 30, 2018Member-onlyTry abandoning your children sometimesIt’s okay — you can, and should, go on vacation without them — There are destinations that are perfect for children — Disneyland, LEGOLAND and Universal Studios among them. Then there’s Old Man of Storr, a rocky hill with scrambling ascents in Trotternish, Isle of Skye, Scotland. Make no mistake, it’s not like my wife and I spent almost two hours trying to…Travel3 min readTravel3 min read
Mar 29, 2018Member-onlyOn the virtues of not writing at allBecause that’s what I did for two weeks — Hey, Medium peeps — it’s been a while. You may have noticed that, after publishing every single day for almost a year, I vanished. Or, maybe, you didn’t notice at all. Sad. Anyway, my wife and I celebrated 10 years of marriage by spending two weeks in Scotland and England…Writing2 min readWriting2 min read
Mar 9, 2018You are not perfect just the way you areDon’t mistake self-love for complacency — Confidence is sexy. In my last post, I talked about not letting other people control you. Part and parcel of that is not letting them tear you down either. …Psychology2 min readPsychology2 min read
