Journal entry: May 4, 1981 (age 12): Birthday Monday is the worst day of the week to have a birthday. You have to go to school, and everybody is in a bad mood. But today got better as it went on. When I got home [more...]
May 152013
May 072013
Lost Journal entry: June 3, 2008 (age 39) A few weeks ago, I wrote a “Lost Journal” column about my 7-year-old nephew Tommy’s “Enemies List.” It explained that the only name on the list was Tony Kornheiser, the well-known sports commentator and co-host of Monday [more...]
May 062013
Journal entry: May 8, 2008 (age 39): Enemies list Hell hath no fury like a 7-year-old scorned. Recently, my brother Dan told me that his son, Tommy, has a “Friends List.” This closely held sheet of paper lists the names of his second-grade classmates, baseball [more...]
Mar 172013
Journal entry: May 7, 1976 (age 7) – Early Planning for a Super Career Adults seem to think that career planning is on the mind of the average grade-schooler. We are regularly asked, by relatives and strangers alike, what we want to be when we grow [more...]
Mar 122013
Journal entry: March 2, 2002 (age 32) — St. Patrick’s Month This week a friend from college called me, and at some point in the conversation he asked what I would be up to this weekend. “Oh,” I replied, “I’ll be going to the St. [more...]
Mar 052013
Journal entry: October 15, 1994 (age 25) “Oh, I’m so glad you boys are both home this weekend. You can help your father clean out the eaves!” My brother, Dan, and I nodded at our mother, and then gave each other a look that said, [more...]
Mar 042013
Journal entry: September 1, 1984 (age 15) With my 27-year-old brother, Jim, driving, the trip from Binghamton to New York City takes less than 3 hours. Other brother Dan, 16, took today’s white-knuckle ride in stride, but I was a bundle of nerves. That drive [more...]
Jan 212013
Journal entry: August 30, 1974 (age 5) — Godfathers & Motorcycles Usually, my trips with my mom to her sister Millie Grace’s house are fairly uneventful. Mom and Aunt Millie are best friends, and I just like to listen to them talk over lunch. Aunt [more...]
Jan 012013
Journal entry: January 1, 1998 (age 28) – New Year’s Eve It seemed like such a good idea at the time. Amanda and I wanted to have everyone over to see our first apartment, but didn’t want our guests to feel obligated to bring gifts. (What [more...]
Dec 232012
Journal entry: December 24, 1994 (age 25) I ripped the Santa-themed Christmas wrapping paper away to reveal a rectangular box with Coca-Cola logos all over it. “Oh,” I thought, “the present must be inside.” But a closer examination revealed that the intended gift was exactly [more...]