The Spirit Makes Ten

The six men stood facing each other, forming a circle just inside the entrance to the hotel conference room.

Five of the men had met in previous years, though never as part of a religious circumstance. They exchanged pleasantries and introduced themselves to the newcomer. The sixth man was not Jewish – “Nobody’s perfect,” someone joked – but he fit in easily with the rest of the group.

They waited a few minutes, making small talk about the speakers they had heard earlier in the day and comparing notes about family situations. They discussed how many years each had been writing and when they first began coming to the conference. When it became apparent that no one else would be joining them, one of the men lifted the glass of wine from the nearby table and the men fell silent.

“Shabbat shalom,”1 he said with a smile.

Continue reading “The Spirit Makes Ten”

Emotional Highs and Lows at Dad 2.0 Summit

The Dad 2.0 Summit has always been an emotional experience for me.

I attended my first conference in New Orleans in 2018 and the weekend was the perfect embodiment of an psychological roller coaster. I read a blog post for all of the attendees and realized I was slightly more well-known than I thought. I pushed myself to attend every session; by the end, I was drained physically, as well as emotionally.

I prepared more effectively for last year’s Summit in San Antonio. I planned which sessions would be the most meaningful to me and focused on developing stronger connections with brands. I also made sure to take time to myself when I needed to, including walking around the city alone one evening.

This past weekend was my third time as an attendee and the charm was definitely on. I knew which panels I was going to attend and which brands would be a good match for me (stay tuned for more content on that front). I also made the most of unstructured social moments, as opposed to only working the business angles.

But on Saturday afternoon, I hit a wall. Continue reading “Emotional Highs and Lows at Dad 2.0 Summit”

A Compliment From a Giant Teddy Bear

Shannon reminded me a bit of Jupiter Jones from The Three Investigators, the pre-adolescent detective novels I read as a child. “Jupe” was always somewhat touchy about his weight, given that his choice word to describe his body was “stocky.” The common physique was where the similarities ended, though; Shannon never gave the impression that his weight bothered him. He wouldn’t have been considered fat, per se, but he was a bigger guy. Aside from their clothing – Shannon was very much a t-shirt and jeans guy, while Jupe was more business casual – Shannon was also built exactly as I would have pictured Jupe as an adult: stocky, bald and bearded. Continue reading “A Compliment From a Giant Teddy Bear”

Isolation in a City Full of Life

The streets were crowded, but not unbearably so. Families of tourists walked slowly, single-file along the San Antonio Riverwalk, keeping their children closer to the wall to prevent an accidental swimming lesson. Groups of teenagers shouted, laughed and cursed at various passersby, enjoying the oyster that was their world on a Saturday evening.

I assumed my identity as a tourist was fairly obvious; I was a lone, white man, dressed in khakis and a blue and white striped button-down shirt, carrying a plastic bag from a souvenir store. I figured people looked at me and thought to themselves, “Oh, he’s not from around here.” I didn’t speak to anyone, aside from the tired high school junior at the store who sold me the books for my children, but no one tried to engage me in conversation either.

Which was just fine with me. Continue reading “Isolation in a City Full of Life”

Fitting In at Dad 2.0 Summit

It had been a warm day.

I had expected the temperature to be higher in New Orleans than at home in New York, but even I was surprised to feel uncomfortable in anything more than a t-shirt. I’d spent the afternoon by myself, making my way through the French Quarter to buy souvenirs for my wife and children before the conference started. I ended up with a fair-sized haul: Mardi Gras masks, a pair of t-shirts and a children’s book for my kids, plus a cookbook and beignet mix for my wife. I was sweating by the time I returned to the hotel because I had been walking quickly, weaving through the other passersby walking slower than me; an hour and a half in the Big Easy was hardly enough to shake my New York City impatience.  Continue reading “Fitting In at Dad 2.0 Summit”

Nerves of Steel

I’m nervous.

I don’t feel this way very often and, even when I do, I rarely let on. I pride myself on being flexible, adapting to situations as they come, taking in new information and adjusting accordingly. People tell me that they admire my calm, that they don’t understand how I can appear to be so relaxed in the face of difficult meetings, challenging personalities or mountains of paperwork. Somehow I manage to remain stoic, composed, cool under pressure through it all. I channel Yoda and Mr. Spock; I don’t let emotion get in my way.1

But this morning, I’m nervous.  Continue reading “Nerves of Steel”

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