When the Power Goes Out

Growing up decades ago, power outages were normal occurrences. They typically happened three to five times every year. My mother had candles to light. And she had a special cooking set for power outages. The old furnace would continue to operate as long as the pilot light remained lit. Power outages were a part of my childhood. They were something that would happen during a storm. In the darkness and absence television, radio or any kind of lighting other than candes and battery-powered flashlights, my mother and I would listen to the wind howl and patiently wait until the power returned. What was always funny was that the telephone had a separate power supply, and I do not think we ever lost telephone service. During the power outages, we could call my grandmother and grandfather across town. We would ask them if they had lost their power or not and what they thought of the weather.

Talk or Leave Them Alone?

Adolescence is the time for kids to develop their independence. It is messy. In the ideal world parents would correctly identify how their adolescents should be independent over time, grant them that independence and be done with it. Usually the adolescents have other ideas.

Tough Girls and Predatory Guys

When Philip joined the Hermes High School Cheer Squad as the mascot, Nestor Hawk, we had only one real concern. We knew he wasn’t doing it to womanize. But we were concerned there would be people—especially girls on the Cheer Squad—who might think womanizing was Philip’s primary motivation. Months later, Philip has no reputation for womanizing. Nonetheless many of the girls on the Cheer Squad have been womanized by others.

Cologne for the Prom or Formal

Few events from high school will be as memorable as the proms and formal dances. If you are a guy, this is your chance to make a great memory for yourself and for your date. You get to dress outside your normal attire in a tuxedo, suit or at least something extra special. Philip for example owns a Black Alfani “Red Label” Jacket that fits his tall, lean body perfectly. He has worn it to banquets and other special events with an un-tucked button-up shirt, tight jeans and leather dress shoes. For the upcoming Winter Formal, Philip will combine his Alfani jacket with some new attire to provide the perfect look.

We Now Discourage Our Daughter from Joining us for Church

The non-religious may not be able to relate to this story immediately. But in the end it is not about religion but about good parenting. For those adults who have embraced faith of any kind, it is a something we would like to pass onto our children as a true gift. For non-religious parents, I trust there are many who have embraced a set of values they would likewise want to confer as perhaps the greatest gift they can give to their children.

The Lone Guy on the Cheer Squad

The role is satirized in popular movies like Easy A and Fired Up as well as in SNL skits featuring Will Ferrell. One victory of the feminist revolution is the gender integration of school sports. Not only can a girl join the Varsity Football Team, but a guy can join the Varsity Cheer Squad. After one football season as the Hermes High School mascot, Philip was invited to officially join the school’s Cheer Squad so the school could fully integrate Nestor Hawk into the Cheer program.

We Let Our Daughter Have a Boyfriend

It has been over five weeks since Lars and Chloe stole away to sit on the bleachers together during a morning break from classes and Lars asked Chloe, “Will you go out with me?”

Their private and special moment was immediately interrupted by Katherine who suddenly found them sitting alone together. Perhaps Katherine sensed the awkwardness because she left reasonably quickly after a quick exchange with Chloe. After what must have seemed like an eternity to Lars, Chloe turned her attention back to him, looked him in the eye and said “Yes” with a cute grin and nod of the head. The two shared a smile but held back any laughter that might have arisen out of Katherine’s untimely interruption before they had to head back to class. But they left morning break officially a couple.