Category: Uncategorized

Speaking Up and Supporting the Cause: Being an Ally for Women’s Rights

I didn’t write a blog post on International Women’s Day.

I didn’t post about it on social media. No writing on Facebook, no Twitter threads, no Instagram photos. I didn’t even put up a measly “story” on Instagram or Facebook.

I didn’t have a particular reason for not writing about it. Lord knows I have plenty of material at my disposal, between my wife and daughter and the other admirable women in my life. But the day came and went with nary a mention from me.

But I should have. Continue reading “Speaking Up and Supporting the Cause: Being an Ally for Women’s Rights”

I’ll Drink To That: Water Bottle Drawings and My Daughter’s Self-Image

She opened the door slowly in her still-half-asleep state. Her hair still covered most of her face, despite the best efforts of the headband she wore. Her eyes remained mostly closed as she took the few steps toward the bathroom. Not forcing her eyes open turned out to be a mistake, unfortunately, as her dog bounded up and greeted her with a body-check to the wall.

She admonished the dog and came to the kitchen to find me. She began crying, the tears of a young girl forced from slumber too early. I picked her up and rubbed her back lightly, soaking in the warmth of her head resting on my shoulder.

“Good morning,” I said. “Did Babka say hi a little too roughly for you?”

I felt her head nod a silent “yes.”

“I think I know what will make you feel better,” I offered. “You want to see who I drew for you for today?”

She lifted her head and wiped her cheek with the back of her hand. I turned and directed her attention to the piece of paper on the counter. The green monster gazed up at us with a wide smile, his singular eye twinkling.

“No!” she said sharply, tears starting to fall again. “I wanted a princess!” Continue reading “I’ll Drink To That: Water Bottle Drawings and My Daughter’s Self-Image”

When Will the “New Normal” Feel Normal?

I’ve noticed that my “memories” in my social media feeds have been somewhat triggering over the past few weeks. Last month marked the anniversary of our worlds grinding to a halt as the start of the pandemic became real for most of the United States.

March 16th, 2020 was my last day of work at my office. It was the week when my wife had professional development at work and our kids’ schools canceled in-person learning. We started trying to figure out how to coexist when we were always at home together. My wife and I answered our children’s questions as best we could, often resigning ourselves to “I’m sorry, I don’t know.”

Then, after the kids were asleep, we would ask each other the same questions.

And we apologized to each other for not knowing the answers. Continue reading “When Will the “New Normal” Feel Normal?”

Parenting TRUM

This post is going to look a bit different. I think it’s still worth reading (I did write it, after all), but I’m just giving you a heads up.

No, the title is not a typo; I did not forget the “p” at the end. TRUM is an acronym that stands for “Thoughts, Ramblings, Useless information and Musings.” Matthew Berry is a senior fantasy sports analysts at ESPN and TRUM is an acronym he created to structure some of his columns when he has a bunch of things to write about but none big enough to fill up their own column. I’ve been compiling a number of these types of notes myself, so I figured I’d do a blog post TRUM-style.  Continue reading “Parenting TRUM”

Welcome!

I don’t talk a lot.

I’m sure there are people who would disagree with that statement. For example, some of my clients don’t talk much either, which means I end up having to say a lot more to get the information I’m after. But that’s not to say I’m necessarily a quiet person. Anyone who has ever watched a Chicago sports game with me will tell you that I am particularly skilled in yelling at the television or making obnoxious comments about officiating (one of my father’s favorite baseball moments involves one particular remark I made at an Orioles game we attended with my brothers). 

But in general, I don’t tend to talk very much.

Part of the reason is that I’ve always felt more comfortable listening than talking. I enjoy gathering information. I enjoy listening to other people’s opinions. Most of all, I enjoy hearing about other people’s lives (which is good, considering I became a social worker). People are interesting. Why do people love eavesdropping so much? Why do people sit in malls or parks and just watched the people around them? Why do people play that game at restaurants where you look around at the other diners and make up background stories for them? (Incidentally, if you haven’t done these things, you should try them sometime.) Why do media outlets make millions of dollars following celebrities, regardless of their levels of fame? Why does a magazine with the name “People” have over 45 million readers? Because people are interesting.

Now, the real question you’re asking is, if I don’t talk much, why am I starting a blog?

This brings us to the purpose of this blog and the types of entries you can expect to read. First of all, I’m a sports fan. I was born in Chicago so I bleed Cubbie blue, Bear Down, run with the Bulls and commit to the Indian (and the White Sox are fine in a pinch). There will be a healthy dose of sports entries, both Chicago-related and otherwise. When my wife, T, first suggested I start a blog, it was because of a conversation we had related to sports.* I’m also a somewhat-recent father. My son, E, will be having his first birthday in June, which is unbelievable since I could swear we just came home from the hospital last week. I’m sure my son will make quite a few appearances, in addition to entries about my journey learning about what it means to raise a child. There will also be various miscellaneous entries about things I come across in life, somewhat like Seinfeld, except without the whiny voice and bright white sneakers. Finally, especially since it was her idea, T will be involved in this project, as well. I’m going to leave it up to her to decide what she wants to write about and how often, although I will say that she suggested she may write about cooking and baking to at least some degree.

 
I think that’s pretty much it. I’m hoping to put up new entries at least two or three times per week, but we’ll see how things go. Feel free to leave comments or suggestions for topics below.
 
Thanks for reading!

*Actually, it was right after NBA center Jason Collins announced that he was gay, so it was technically more about equality and our society’s attitude towards homosexuality than it was about sports (and this whole thing will almost definitely come up in a later entry). But it was still about sports.

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