Articles
Combat Loneliness With Love
Dale rolled over in bed and glanced at the clock. It read 6:02 a.m. It would be another hour before sunrise.
The Benefits Of Consulting Colleagues
Long before business meetings included projections and metrics, the people sitting around a table talked about how things were going. They asked about the families and inquired about the “work family”—the gang that worked together all day.
Eyes On The Road
I recently saw a truck commercial where the driver took his hands off the wheel and began to play patty-cake by himself. As the music swelled with the beat, he sat back comfortably, presumably to await the oncoming 18-wheeler being driven by a guy who was probably busy trying to reset his cell phone clock.
Spend time getting tangled up in each other’s business
I don’t know many families that still collectively sit down to dinner anymore. In fact, I’ve seen a lot of modern homes with a “breakfast bar” but not many with actual kitchen tables.
Yes, You Do
Now in its eleventh season, The NFL Today television show precedes the weekly Sunday 1 p.m. football game with five men who exchange predictions, status reports, and game scores. Most of the hosts are former football players and coaches, and their knowledge gives viewers an inside track on issues that matter to the game.
Build Faith
Most days I take the same on-ramp at the same highway intersection. On this particular day, I was greeted by a giant orange sign that warned me of a “Flagman Ahead.”
Lighten Up
While wandering through a gift shop recently, I came upon a shelf full of mugs and miniature trophies. Each was emblazoned with a bold line that read, “World’s Greatest Dad.”
When Forty Winks Are Not Enough
Sleep-related problems affect 50- to 70-million Americans of all ages and socioeconomic classes, according to a 2022 study completed by www.sleephealth.org. Evidently, the most common disorders include insomnia, sleep-apnea, restless-legs syndrome, and narcolepsy.
Turn The Page
Now, in my second year of retirement, my children tell me I am assembling a sizable list of “get-off-my-lawn”-type platitudes. Until they are pointed out, I am pretty unaware of how they sound, but once they’re repeated, I understand the looks my children give each other as I pontificate.
A Father’s Pledge
My father, Ronald Henry Ciancutti—son of Henry Ronald Ciancutti and future father of me, Ronald Drew Ciancutti—stared at the ceiling in the gymnasium as the light grew brighter in the early morning hours.
One Wonderful Life
I was pounding tomato stakes along the side of the house where the sun shines most of the day. With a five-pound sledge in one hand and a bundle of twine in the other, I rounded the front of the house.
The Basics Of Belt-Tightening
A friend of mine does small- to medium-sized construction jobs—he installs driveway fences/gates, room dividers, drywalls and tapes a kitchen ceiling, etc. Most of his business comes by word of mouth. People see his work and ask who did the job.
From Student To Teacher
A sad part of being 60+ is seeing mentors pass on, and even some peers. I am acutely sensitive to old movies and programs, and often hear characters say things like, “Dad, you’re in your 60s now.
The Quest For Fun
Of all the programs initiated by the National Alliance for Youth Sports, my favorite one is the Start Smart Sports Development Program. It began, in part, because of the shocking statistic that many kids quit sports by the time they turn 13 years old.
One Wonderful Life
I was pounding tomato stakes along the side of the house where the sun shines most of the day. With a five-pound sledge in one hand and a bundle of twine in the other, I rounded the front of the house.
Goodbye, Forever Friend
In my quiet, little hometown—like many other communities—students made the jump from sixth grade to seventh grade by entering junior high school. There was the typical hesitation and fear of leaving the safety and security of the neighborhood elementary school, where all our fellow students lived within blocks of the building.
The Village That Raised Me
When Hillary Clinton titled her book, It Takes a Village, published in 2006, I remember pausing to let the title sink in, and then smiled and nodded, as it made so very much sense. The clear reference that many influences are involved in building one’s life had also been the locomotion of my life, and the older I got, that philosophy became clearer.
Simplification Is Adding Complication
When my overnight sleep medication—approved by four of five doctors—wore off this morning, I rose from my adjustable bed, disabled the automatic heat function, and set my apnea machine to the “clean” mode. I put on copper-lined socks, stepped into cross-training shoes and shorts, and walked to the den.
Developing A New Skill Set
We went to an art exhibit the other evening. When you retire, you do things like that: go to an art exhibit with your wife. There was wine and crackers with cheeses I could not pronounce. There were little cheese placards there to endorse my ignorance.