The beginning of 2011 for my wife and I was an extreme example of a figurative pendulum swinging from pure bliss to sheer terror.
I suppose that is one of many ways to attempt and shed light on an evening that was full of New Year’s Eve freedom and frivolity, yet ended with a wretched encounter with a mad stranger who threatened to kill me and my family.
It is one those sudden circumstances that leaves you shocked, angry and beyond perplexed. But, ultimately, I have chosen relief. This wayward meeting could …

Since my job lay-off in March of 2009, I have experienced numerous inquiries ranging from sincere empathy to casual questions regarding what my future plans are.
Of course, those first few months of unemployment were the most difficult, and, to some extent, worthy of some degree of compassion. But only because I had an eight-month-old baby at home when I lost my job, and I actually had really loved my position with Emmis Communications as Digital Brand Manager.
The fact that I was/am still young and very capable of working at an …

I am not prone to be melodramatic, except for when I endure a particularly painful sports defeat. But what I experienced last weekend is challenging to describe without being a little sensational.
This is a very condensed version of a lengthy tale, but that is the point of a blog post. If I decide to write a book, I’ll let you know the details. I grew up in love with playing basketball from as far back as I can remember. The fact that I was really good at it helped, but …

I have always existed in a state of infatuation concerning night time. I do not like mornings; I love nights. This trait has become kind of a heavy burden to carry as I move forward in life as a father and husband.
Though I love to party, my affinity for the night life is unrelated. In high school, I went to school until noon, then “worked” the rest of the day at Pizza Hut as part of a program for kids who needed to be employed. I hid from my high …

It has been a full month since my family took a weekend vacation in Daytona Beach. I was reflecting upon this earlier today after being asked about it. It was a good trip, but the key to our enjoyment once we arrived was simple: our two-year-old little girl loved the beach!
It would have been very understandable if she had been scared of: the crowds, the sand, the waves, the water, the ocean’s seemingly infinite qualities … but it was all good. Thankfully.
It is always an extremely trying and maddening experience …

It is always a very unsettling circumstance when you see cop lights behind you. Having gone through a wayward period during my teen years, followed by a notably wild run during my college years, seeing police lights in my rear-view mirror is certainly nothing new.
Anytime a pull-over does not result in an arrest, that is a victory of sorts … and if you can get out with no papers being handed to you, it is a total win. I did not win this round.
When I am actually not doing anything …

I really struggle with perspective on a daily basis. It is not so much a result of perpetual deep thinking or a consistent metaphysical point of view on everything. Well, sometimes that is the case, but the day-to-day mental grind I often encounter just deals with how I need to approach a given day.
It is safe, in my opinion, to assume that the majority of people over 20 years old deal with this same problem. Of course, a large segment of US society has genuine hardships, whether it is mental …

I really do have a genuine fondness for children, and, at times, it kind of surprises me. It certainly was not always the case with me, as I was very self-centered throughout my teen years, and through my 20s. This is really indicative of most people from my generation.
The selfishness of people I know between the ages of 25 and 40 may be a result of the influx of technology absorbing their attention away from a family mentality, and also the need to stay focused on careers for much longer. …

It is much easier and enjoyable to write about the great times I have with my two-year-old daughter as a stay-at-home father rather than the rough times. Usually, that is at the forefront of my daily experiences.
But not every day is a simple, successful and fun stroll through a summer day. With the events of last night and this morning still fresh in my mind, I’ll list everything that went awry prior to nap time.
I do want to preface this blog post by saying I do my best to stay …

There are certain things only another parent can relate to. Such as the fact that my day yesterday started off very rough, yet was instantly saved thanks to my daughter peeing in the toilet!
This is not a typical week for my family. My daughter just began going to a child care center a few mornings a week; a place that functions more like a preschool than day care. It has been going great, but they are closed all of this week. So my daughter is home with me full time …