My Life As A Hobby

Ferris Bueller was right when he said life moves pretty fast.  Does it ever.  That realization hit me square in the face when I recently saw a  Facebook post from one of my lifelong friends, Jane.  She was electronically celebrating an important milestone in her life.  Fifty years ago, Jane and her husband Wayne had their first date - a blind date.  In the text she mentioned that he still had the original piece of paper with her telephone number.  As I read it, I smiled, and a flood of memories washed over me.  Because a half century ago, I was the one who gave Wayne her phone number.  Jane was my high school girl-friend.    Every boy needs a girl-friend.  Not to be confused with girlfriend, a girl-friend is a confidant and advisor, especially in matters concerning the opposite sex.  I didn’t always take Jane’s advice, but I always sought it.  Besides, I knew that she was already someone’s girlfriend.  She had be...

Being a proud grandparent, I’ve decided that 2 years is an especially wonderful age for a grandchild.  They talk pretty well, they’re just about potty trained, and they’re still unencumbered when it comes to social graces.  Come to think about it, that’s pretty much the way my wife describes me.  And the questions. “What is this? What’s this for?  Why are you doing this?”  They are little sponges absorbing everything they can as the world unfolds before them.  This combination of cuteness and  curiosity, coupled with a sense of wonder, makes Christmas an especially wonderful time for a two year old.  The fear of Santa is over.  The concept of gifting is basically understood.  And the classic Christmas movies are new and fresh to them.   And so it came about yesterday that we got to introduce Addy, my two year old grand princess, to one of my favorite holiday flicks, The Polar Express.   It didn’t come about easily.  Anothe...

“Sometimes it only takes one act of kindness and caring to change a person’s life.”                                 Jackie Chan Even though this happened years ago, the lesson it teaches is still applicable today.  Maybe now more than ever.  Read it, enjoy it, take it to heart.   I sat down with a cup of coffee and looked at the pile of papers on my desk.  “Just another typical Monday morning,” I thought. Time to write a to-do list and get a few things done before the phone started ringing.  My concentration was broken when Rita, a work associate, walked in my office and sat down across from me.  It was the first time I had seen her in several days since she had been in Orlando for a meeting.  “How was your trip?”, I asked.  Her eyes widened. “You are not going to believe what happened!”, she said.   I leaned forward to listen, my interest piqued. ...