Yes, I went to the Spectrum Theater to see “Train Dreams” the other night, but I attended with a heavy heart: The Delmar Dad’s Movie Club lasted exactly one year, and then, without warning, blew up spectacularly. First, Jimmy broke up with us via text: “We did a year and it was good. But I’m not into continuing.” Paul and I were shocked, I tell you, although maybe we shouldn’t have...
We’ve all pressed the reset button to restart a device or system that is unresponsive or malfunctioning. It’s a go-to fix for a multitude of issues. I’ve gotten better at resetting myself when I start to malfunction. When anxious or emotionally drained or feeling lost, I’ve learned to pause, step back, and intentionally return to a clearer, more balanced version of myself, more prepared to handle...
A police cruiser pulled up and stopped at our corner today. My heart began to race. I wondered if I should run out the back door and jump the fence and disappear into the ravine. I thought maybe the police officer had come to arrest me. That’s because I’m against fascism, and the authoritarian fascist president of our country just declared Antifa (short for anti-fascist) a “Domestic Terrorist...
I was talking with a friend of my own vintage, who said all of the big decisions in life are over for us. He was referring to the decisions we make as we lift the anchor on our childhoods and begin charting our course as adults. We made our decision about education years ago—whether to attend college and what to study. We’ve chosen career paths (we’re both writers). We’ve decided who to marry...
Tanya: A soccer player on the fields adjacent to the tennis club reached out to me through the website and said that last week he kicked a ball that went over the fence onto the courts during a time when the club was closed and the gates were locked. I heard you might have been involved. Me: Yes, the other day I found a neon yellow soccer ball inside our fence, and so the next evening when we...
For most of my life I’ve had only a few friends. Now I have added to that roster. Not that I’ve become more social (I’ve become less, if you can imagine that), but I’ve expanded my definition of friendship. I have local friends who help me feel anchored to my community. Historical friends that have been deeply entwined in the fabric of my life for decades. Writer friends who understand that...
The Movie Club went throwback this month and we saw Jaws, the iconic thriller/suspense blockbuster celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. I’m extremely familiar with Jaws. I happen to live with someone who has said Jaws is her favorite movie, and she went to see it numerous times in the summer of 1975 when it premiered. Since then, we’ve seen the film, or parts of it, many times. So there...
Do you ever wonder how often you think of the ones you love the most? Certainly, anyone you’re living with—a partner, a child, a parent, a friend—you think of every day, at least once a day, because they’re right in front of you as a reminder. What about the parent or friend who died months or years ago? The old friends who promised to stay in touch? Or the person you were once romantically...
Tee time is 10:00 AM. Jim gives me a tour of the set of clubs (good ones) borrowed from Pico. How to hold the club. Proper stance. How to swing. I also have the advantage of having watched a three-minute YouTube video for beginners on how to swing a golf club: heart high, arms to the side. Pico and Fernando are experienced golfers, and their skills show right away. They both drive long, high...
After a blip last month in which one of us missed, the Delmar Dads Movie Club was back last night with a full roster of our three founding members. It was Paul’s turn to choose, and this guy is on a winning streak. We saw Weapons, the kind of horror/mystery/thriller type film I would never choose, but am glad that he did. Weapons has one of those far-out concepts: what happens to a community when...
My mom, Irene Klein, died more than 40 years ago when she was 58 and I was 24. I was still largely undeveloped as an adult, and losing my mother was a huge blow. I drifted rudderless and without purpose for some years after. I’ve always wondered what my life would have been like if she’d been around to continue loving me and guiding me. Then when I was 35, in marrying Harriet, I gained a mother...
I forgot to include a story in the newsletter I write for the tennis club. I forgot we were going to tell the kids about the Richardsons. I forgot to get my car inspected because when I looked at the sticker it was three months overdue. Harriet reminded me we were going to tell the kids about the Richardsons. I went to the hardware store, the grocery store, and the library, and I remembered my...
Anyone who reads this blog knows that I’m a fan of multilinear films and novels, which are constructed around multiple protagonists with intersecting storylines and driven by a central theme. So when Owen told me he watched the film Crash (2004), I was keenly interested in his reaction. As a side note, I included Crash with the word ‘Sorry’ in parentheses, on my “List of Must-See Movies.” I...
I’ve given talks about my books and answered questions from readers. I’ve stood in front of audiences and hosted business presentations. I’ve confidently pitched marketing ideas to skeptical executives. I’ve performed timed slide presentations at Pecha Kucha nights. I’ve given eulogies at funerals and toasts at weddings. None of these public speaking situations did me in. And yet, I have a...
A subset of the Delmar Dads Movie Club went to the Spectrum Theater last night and saw “Friendship,” a cringey black comedy starring the actor and comedian Tim Robinson, whom I’d never heard of, but apparently is popular. It was my turn to choose what film we’d see on the second Wednesday of this month, and darn if the pickings weren’t slim. I almost chose “F1” but was warned by someone trusted...
