Mike Arvin: “Used Car” August 4, 2008
Posted by TimTheFoolMan in Blogging.13 comments
Here’s our third video, from the people who brought you “On Patrol” and “Post-It: I Love You.”
By the way, I have no idea why there’s a full minute of black at the end of this. If you sat around waiting for some kind of surprise at the end, I’m sorry for the disappointment. – Tim
Camping in the Smokies with George and Clem (Guest Post) August 3, 2008
Posted by TimTheFoolMan in Blogging, Friends.Tags: best friends, Black Bears, Camping
4 comments
[Ed Note: This is a guest post by a childhood best-friend of Clem. Any resemblance between Clem and the author of this blog is unavoidable.]
For a former Wyoming mountain and back-country guide, this is a story I wish I could forget. It does, however, demonstrate that in the absence of technical expertise, passion and desire will press on…along with a few good memorable laughs.
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To My Son: Prior to Graduation May 14, 2008
Posted by TimTheFoolMan in Blogging.3 comments
One of the interesting things I’ve noticed over the past couple of years is the number of people who come across my blog after searching for something like “words to son for graduation.” A few years ago, I published something I wrote for my son, “To My Son (at Graduation),” and this seems to be a common introduction to my blog for many readers.
My oldest just finished his sophomore year of college, so it’s a bit early to be writing to him in anticipation of his collegiate graduation. My younger son is about to finish his junior year of high school, so it might seem a bit early for that too. Instead, I want to share something that I have already shared with both of my sons, and it’s something I wish someone had shared with me, long before graduation day. It’s called “What You’ll Wish You’d Known,” by Paul Graham. Enjoy.
Christians and the Problem of the FLDS Church April 30, 2008
Posted by TimTheFoolMan in Blogging, Christianity.Tags: age of accountability, FLDS Church, sexual abuse
9 comments
From ABC news coverage:
Outside the courthouse, where satellite trucks lined the street, a man who said he was an FLDS father waved a photo of himself surrounded by his four children, ranging in age from an infant to about 9.
“Look, look, look,” the father said. “These children are all smiling, we’re happy.”
As I read this, my reaction was “I bet slave owners in the South said the same thing to people in the North.”
The events at the polygamist FLDS compound in West Texas have haunted me, and for several reasons. First, it haunts me that parents would allow their children to have their minds and hearts twisted the way that they have. However, I’ve also been haunted with questions about what Christians do that parallels some of the FLDS parents’ behavior in disturbing ways. (more…)
What is My Job as a Parent? April 28, 2008
Posted by TimTheFoolMan in Blogging, Parenting/Children.Tags: parental role
2 comments
One of my friends puts it this way:
My role as a parent is to make myself unnecessary.
Is that really my role? I have to admit, it’s hard for me to argue with that, even though my heart wishes it were otherwise. I certainly want my sons to continue to talk to me, but if I don’t teach them to operate in complete independence, am I crippling them for life? What will their lives be like when the day comes that I’m gone?
At the time of this writing, my oldest son is 20 years old, and my youngest is 17. If something were to happen to me today, both of them have enough basic life skills to survive in the society that exists today. In that regard, I could probably claim that my work, as a parent, is finished. (more…)
