A Fool and his Words are Soon Parted

My older son and I made the following video on the Saturday of Father’s Day weekend. The local Kino group put this on, and at the last minute, we decided to give it a shot. Enjoy!

“And a rock feels no pain. And an island never cries.”

If you are, should you be the subject of envy, or pity?

Billy Joel wrote a song titled “Souvenirs” on one of his first albums that included the following lyric:

A picture postcard, a folded stub
A program… from the play
File away… the photograph
From your holiday
But your mementos, will turn to dust
For that’s the price you pay
Every year, is a souvenir
That slowly fades… away

I’m a big fan of mementos and souvenirs, but not so much in the traditional sense. Yes, I buy t-shirts and hats when I visit a new place, and I tend to snap a picture here and there when I travel. My favorites though, remind me of people. (more…)

Besides Ghostbusters.

Here’s the scenario:

You’re stranded on a busy expressway late at night, your family in the car with you. The outside temperature is in the low 20’s. You’re in an old car, long since paid for, but sadly, not covered by towing insurance. In fact, it’s not clear how far you might be to a towing service, or how far it might be for them to tow you to civilization, much less your home.

You get out your cell phone and try to decide who to call at such a late hour. You look through your phone’s contact list. Name after name scrolls by. Who would you call if you need to be rescued in such a situation?

I am asking this hypothetically, but I’m curious about the real answer for any of us. Who do we call, and why do we call them instead of someone else?

It’s after Midnight, and I’ve finished my wrapping and tucked my handiwork under the tree. Likewise, I’ve stuffed the boys’ stockings, and made sure everything was ready for Christmas morning. Now I sit in the dark, gazing at the lights of the tree.

This is something of a personal tradition for me, dating back to my pre-teen days. Back then I would grab a blanket, settle down over one of the floor-mounted heating vents, and let my mind wander. (more…)

From the Amazon.com description of “The Blessing,” by John Trent and Gary Smalley:

…the life-changing gift the Bible calls “the blessing.” The unconditional love and approval that comes with the blessing is an important element of our self-esteem and emotional well-being. And many of us–perhaps unknowingly–spend a lifetime striving for this acceptance.

I love this book, and recommend it highly. However, of late, I’ve seen the reverse effect: My sons have found unexpected ways of blessing me, the parent. (more…)

…you should. Men’s Health devoted a large article to his act of heroism and the mystery of one who gives himself for complete strangers. Wikipedia has a good summary too.

I know… I need to video these earlier in the day instead of in twilight. There’s some color funkiness that comes in when things got really dark, but such is life.

I’m debating trying this instead of writing everything. Please let me know what you think.

One of the notable songs from Billy Joel’s “Streetlife Serenade” album from 1974 was a song called “The Last of the Big Time Spenders.” The chorus includes the following line:

…I’m the last of the big time spenders
And I’ve been spendin’ time on you,

An eternal truth that’s too easy to forget is that money is distributed unevenly, but time is doled out in equal amounts. None of us get more than 60 minutes in an hour, 24 hours in a day, or 365 days in a year.

Recently, a very good friend remembered my love of “Hook,” the Robin Williams & Dustin Hoffman version of the Peter Pan story, and bought the DVD for me for my birthday. The most significant reason I love this movie? It’s a constant reminder to spend time with my sons, and more important, how I should spend that time. (more…)

Once again, we’ve taken our oldest son back to college, moved him in, and said our “goodbyes.” Though I would have presumed that sending him off to school would be easier this year, it wasn’t.

What made it harder? The myriad of ways we spent time together this Summer. (more…)