We spent Friday night trekking into the Reggie Lewis Center—a ninety-minute ride into Boston during rush hour—to see Graham run for five minutes and two seconds to be precise. He finished second in his mile heat, first among freshmen, and twelfth overall, and he set a new personal record. Once he finished, we hustled downContinue reading “Be Famous on Your Own Merits”
Tag Archives: Fathers
All the World is a Running Trail
Lauren went out with her mother and Lucia Wednesday night to get their nails done and to have dinner at the Mexican restaurant Cancun. Still battling my not-Micah-Parsons cold, I didn’t feel like making dinner, so I brought Graham to KFC/Taco Bell in the neighboring town of Bridgewater. The store used to have Pizza Hut,Continue reading “All the World is a Running Trail”
An Update from the International Brotherhood of Envelope Stuffers (IBES Local 33)
I sat on the couch with the remote in hand, the menu screen up, but Lauren sat at the kitchen table, within view but not paying attention to the TV. “I was thinking we could watch The Wire,” I said. “I’m just working on the Christmas cards,” she said. “Noted,” I said. “But if youContinue reading “An Update from the International Brotherhood of Envelope Stuffers (IBES Local 33)”
A Near Disaster in Wrestling
I’m sad to report that Lindsay’s college wrestling career nearly came to an ignominious end on Sunday. Lindsay is wrestling at 191 and splitting time with another wrestler on the roster. This weekend, her team had a quad at Sacred Heart in Fairfield, Connecticut. Other participating schools were New England College and Delaware Valley. LindsayContinue reading “A Near Disaster in Wrestling”
Ghosts of Christmas Past
In the old Christmas song “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” our favorite crooners tell us, There’ll be scary ghost stories and tales of the glories of Christmases long, long ago. When I was younger, I thought it was a strange line, and the only ghosts I could connect with Christmas were inContinue reading “Ghosts of Christmas Past”
Parting Is Not Sweet Sorrow
One day when I was a freshman in college, I came back to my dorm room in the early afternoon after class. I opened the door to find my roommate sitting in his desk chair turned away from his computer and toward the door, but his head down, his eyes staring at the carpet. HeContinue reading “Parting Is Not Sweet Sorrow”
There’s a Talking Dog at Work
Grant texted me this morning: There is a talking dog at my work. Bet you’d like to visit Sheetz in Lewisburg to see the talking dog, huh? This hearkens back to several years ago when my father-in-law Leon was part of a nearby Church congregation that we had once been in. I asked him howContinue reading “There’s a Talking Dog at Work”
Remembering a Cousin Lost at Pearl Harbor
When he was born, we named our oldest son Grant Derby Laws. Grant became the seventh generation of oldest sons in my family with the middle name Derby. The first was William Derby Johnson, son of Ezekiel Johnson of Grafton, Massachusetts. When he was sixteen years old, William’s grandson Carl Spencer Johnson lied about hisContinue reading “Remembering a Cousin Lost at Pearl Harbor”
I Got Whammed
Driving home from Plymouth tonight, Lauren fiddled with my phone to put Christmas music on. “You were not listening to Christmas music before?” she said. “I had Graham in the car. I can only fight so many battles.” “I see.” In the backseat, Graham cleared his throat. “Dad, I think we have to agree thatContinue reading “I Got Whammed”
We All Sit on Thrones of Lies
When we are in Lewisburg, we like to do runs and walks on the Buffalo Valley Rail Trail—a long, paved walking/biking trail that follows the path of old rail lines no longer in use. Lewisburg is home to the Bucknell Bison, and the logo is a charging buffalo. A sign along the trail refers toContinue reading “We All Sit on Thrones of Lies”
His Smile Lit Up a Room and Other Things to Say at My Funeral 