In my earliest recollection of childhood, I feign sleep in the back seat of a car. Through a veil of eyelashes, I watch motes of dust circulate in a shaft of sunlight like something astral. I remain like that a long time--in wonder of the dust--when I hear my mother tell my father that … Continue reading My Father’s Shoes
Fatherhood
Trailer Park
The trailer park was a sprawling place with plenty of vacant spaces for a boy to roam and get lost. One end bordered a huge lot of scrapped construction machinery with a giant mound of tractor tires we used to play on. Sometimes a truck would rumble through the gate and we would run like … Continue reading Trailer Park
Banjo Blueberry Crumb Cake
My wife is forever losing her blueberries. They tumble like marbles from the peanut butter slathered bagels that she sprinkles so generously with chia seeds. She’s a healthy one, a vegetarian, my wife. I refer to them, jokingly, as her “birdseed bagels.” She claims not to see them, these runaway blueberries. They “get lost” in … Continue reading Banjo Blueberry Crumb Cake
Birdhouse
A storm passed overnight and the strong winds blew down the birdhouse that Miles and I had constructed over the winter from some old boards in the basement. I've never been much of a carpenter. The boy stood beside me as I lifted the quaint, but shoddy, peak-roofed box from the ground. I had … Continue reading Birdhouse
Homeland Security
I got a text from my wife that there was some drunken homeless person in our alley. She had called the police but they were too busy to send anyone out. I didn't notice the message until I was almost done with my shift. I figured everything was fine. It was one of those … Continue reading Homeland Security
Miles to Go and No Reindeer to Guide Me
There are many acts of parenting performed out of societal pressure (circumcision, vaccinations, dental examinations, public school) that, given your offspring’s reaction, seem like abuse. Not the least of these is placing your child on the lap of the department store Santa. That was the result. A toddler betrayed by his caregivers, screaming in absolute … Continue reading Miles to Go and No Reindeer to Guide Me
Mouse Trouble
I’ve yet to slaughter any cats, but I once killed a mouse in front of my son with a tennis racket. I don’t know if I’ve ever felt as satisfied in my manhood as at that moment, or so attuned to nature. We can admire the songbirds with our binoculars, but it is worth … Continue reading Mouse Trouble
A Thing of Beauty (Part II)
Over the course of my adulthood, I’ve run seven marathons. The last one was three years ago, just to show that I could do it--the same reason that I ran the first one. I won’t embarrass myself by bragging about my times. I will say that I beat then-governor Tim Pawlenty in the Twin Cities … Continue reading A Thing of Beauty (Part II)
A Thing of Beauty: Thrills and Agonies of a Middle-Aged Dad
Growing up, I used to watch ABC’s Wide World of Sports with my father as he drank beer on the couch. We especially enjoyed the show’s introduction with the horrible ski jump crash and the famous line, “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.” To my father and me, these words conveyed a … Continue reading A Thing of Beauty: Thrills and Agonies of a Middle-Aged Dad
Seven Manifestations of God: a Photo Essay
I haven't read the Bible in decades, nor do I attend church. I don't pray in any formal sense. Yet, I regard myself as a spiritual person. If I were to label my beliefs, I would say I am a naturalistic pantheist--someone who rejoices in the beauty of the natural world, someone who sees God, … Continue reading Seven Manifestations of God: a Photo Essay
