Today is my 55th birthday. The Sammy Hagar tune “I Can’t Drive 55” keeps running through my head. It occurs to me that someday my kids will take my car keys away from me. After all, I am creeping closer to that golden age. I just hope to God that when they do, it’s the result of a high speed chase across multiple counties and not because of some embarrassing fender bender in a Costco parking lot. But back to the birthday, it’s a weird…
The abiding ethos of the New Year is to gleefully leap forward- bidding the old year adieu, while revving up for the fresh one ahead. It is a narrative filled with robust enthusiasm, recalibrated resolve and reflective renewal. In the New Year, anything seems possible; this is the year we lose the weight or step up to the plate or have the epic breakthrough. We’ll go the distance this time, and it will be good. This is the prevailing sentiment anyway. But for some people, the…
Chloe is a retired sumo wrestler who lives in my head. I brought him on board about a year ago. Although he’d recently retired from professional wrestling, he was still looking for some action and I needed help. Chloe provides a security detail of sorts. I have these little thought bubbles that often evolve into full-blown characters. Once this happens, they create all kinds of trouble. Individually, they’re unhelpful misfits. But they tend to run together in an insidious group that I can the…
January 22, 1992. My most vivid memory from that day was of standing completely naked in my living room. The scene around me was frenetic and chaotic, but I remember feeling like I was in slow motion. It was early in the morning, maybe around 5:30am or so. The front door was wide open. It was frigid out and dark. I remember the flashing lights from the firetruck and ambulance in front of the house. I can still see the firemen walking into the house…
Ah, it’s New Year’s Day and here we go again: retooling, tweaking, course correcting and generally polishing up our less-than-perfect lives. New Year’s Day is, in essence, the giant do-over. I’m taking a pass on resolutions this year. (I’m always trying to lose weight. What’s to resolve?) But there are a few things kicking around in my heart and mind as we step out, step up and step into 2011. Life as a Tango…
