tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56407222011-12-14T23:40:37.821-03:00American DadWhere father knows less.Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comBlogger911100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-36301023549936389242007-10-22T00:31:00.000-02:002007-10-22T00:37:41.652-02:00That's bogus!Sometimes, if you listen with your non-parental ears, you catch your kids saying some insightful and important, if not downright, profound things. In this case, it’s 14-year-old Logan’s new favorite phrase, retort, complaint, commentary, epithet, challenge and insult: “That’s bogus!”To my dad ears, that’s lazy diction at best and sass at worst. I hear it more than I figure is my Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-74287013116006449192007-07-05T19:46:00.000-02:002007-07-05T19:49:40.779-02:00Raising responsible citizens -- patriotsWe celebrated the 4th, yesterday, in our traditional way: Rhonda organized the neighborhood parade – this year with both a firetruck and a squad car! -- and picnic, complete with goody bags, games, prizes and pinatas for the little ones and great food and great conversation for us older ones. The kids decorated their bikes and rode in the parade, then Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-13888846387448816262007-05-22T17:38:00.000-02:002007-05-23T10:52:19.070-02:00A glimpse into the mind of a 6-year-oldAt 6 years old, Maya isn’t just fascinating to watch, as she figures out how to navigate the world around her, she’s also a source of prime entertainment and unexpected wisdom.In a written report on what she did in kindergarten the preceding week, Maya wrote: Wednesday “We had ches pesu and aplles and pars and vechtbls. It was dlishish.” (Translation: We Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-76184190872387985552007-04-16T13:55:00.000-02:002007-04-16T13:57:27.520-02:00A new project I'm working on....http://letterstoourfathers.20m.com I'm hoping you'll submit something about your father! Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-10298516187931804642007-01-11T10:37:00.000-03:002007-01-11T10:40:38.821-03:00A son reminds a father about life's prioritiesThe following post is by Rev. Randy Woodley, posted at www.beliefnet.com/blogs/godspolitics/I picked up my 11-year-old son from school the other day. The conversation was business as usual, until he shared how he was bored in class and wrote a letter to the president of the United States. Flabbergasted, I asked him if he would read it to me.He was Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-78365264954941642172006-12-11T00:11:00.000-03:002006-12-11T00:20:48.855-03:00Why do we do what we do?This is a season of traditions. The trees, lights, music, gifts, meals, gatherings: they’re all part of the cultural picture for most of us, and this family is no different. Except, this family is very different.We piled the kids into the car, and drove out to the country to harvest our family Christmas tree. The sun, hanging low in the sky, bathed the hillsides in a Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-62350893464189945972006-11-13T17:56:00.000-03:002006-11-13T18:02:31.011-03:00The more things change....Here's Grandpa (my dad) teaching Derek (my nephew) how to tie a necktie. No more whining now about how all the good things about how "it used to be" are all gone. Love is still love and family is still family, if you want them to be. And a boy still has to learn from their Grandpa.Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-35259633583241186062006-11-12T20:35:00.002-03:002006-11-12T22:25:50.463-03:00Glimpsing your children as grownupsBy Russell KingThe point – even if it seems a long way off – of much of what we do as American dads is to help our boys and girls grow into good men and women. Sure, sometimes you intervene to prevent bloodshed or to get just one blessed moment of peace and quiet, but most of the time your parenting is designed to give them their best shot at turning out to be Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1158021536718293002006-09-11T22:36:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:31:15.629-03:00Watching the first one go The first one is gone. Dan, 18, is out there on his own, facing the great big world. It’s not exactly time for the empty nest syndrom, because I still have five more at home and it’ll be at least another 13 years before the youngest can leave, but it’s still a moment that releases a flood of strange emotions.I adopted Danny when he was just a little more than five monthsRussell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1157561741790214062006-09-06T13:38:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:31:15.195-03:00It's love that makes a dadYesterday, the great political writer Josh Marshall wrote in his blog about the death of his father. Not only was it a beautiful tribute to a wonderful man, and a moving expression of a son’s love for his father, but it was a touching affirmation for this particular American dad. What follows is excerpted from Josh’s loving essay.In the two weeks since my dad died I’ve Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1152067219525859552006-07-05T00:36:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:31:07.779-03:00Color us patriotic By Russell King Yesterday, Maya was coloring in her pre-kindergarten workbook. The design was a group of "puzzle" pieces, each with a letter inside it. The task was to identify the uppercase and lowercase versions of the letter "I" and color them blue. Having completed the task, Maya picked up another crayon and asked rhetorically: "I can color all the other ones yellow, right?Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1152066389145155722006-07-05T00:09:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:31:07.449-03:00Color us patriotic continuedA couple of our presidents have agreed. George Washington: "If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter." Harry Truman: "Once a government is committed to the principle of silencing the voice of opposition, it has only one way to go, and that is down the path of increasingly repressive measures, until it Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1151858856807817342006-07-02T14:43:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:31:07.089-03:00The poetry of RyleeBy Russell KingRemember Bill Cosby’s TV show "Kids Say the Darndest Things"? Here’s the Rylee King version. These are lines taken from her 5th grade spelling journal, in which she was required to compose sentences using that week’s spelling words. The results aren’t just amusing, they’re pure Rylee:Is it difficult to eat? How many blankets does it take to cover your tail? Does Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1150582307041299792006-06-17T20:10:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:31:06.830-03:00Happy Father’s Day – to my wifeBy Russell KingBeing an American dad ain’t for sissies. To do this parenthood thing the right way, for you and for them, you have to bring your "A" game day after day after day for at least 25 years from the birth of your youngest child, even if you have only one. Parenting is a contact sport requiring speed, flexibility, strength and endurance. All of which is why Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1149477145039043342006-06-05T01:09:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:31:06.572-03:00The Big Lie we're telling our kidsBy Russell KingAs I watch Hannah try to make sense of the demands of middle school, H.L. Mencken seems more and more right: The main thing children learn in school, he said, is how to lie. The Big Lie is the message we give our kids about what’s important and what’s not.Hannah’s word for it is "boring." She can do the work very well when she has a mind to, when Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1148528211217194442006-05-25T01:31:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:31:06.285-03:00These are the good old days.By Russell KingIf we’re to believe the newspapers and TV news programs, our schools are full of kids who are illiterate, violent thugs who’d rather smoke, drink and do drugs than anything else. Today’s youth are foul-mouthed, self-centered, over-sexed losers approaching the on-ramp to the Highway to Hell with the gas pedal floored. One study found that in a recent Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1146874575108544472006-05-05T22:10:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:31:05.935-03:00Fathers, sons and the rise of steamBy Russell KingSometimes the pieces of life’s puzzle overlap and make moments that leave you thinking. The lines of father and son run close and parallel, and an American dad can find himself with a foot on either side. I’ve been having one of those moments for a couple of weeks now.A couple of weeks ago, I was visiting my parents. I live way north in America, Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1142540644321359832006-03-16T16:36:00.000-03:002006-11-12T20:31:05.634-03:00Score one for our sideBy Russell KingWhen the TV show "Who wants to be a millionaire?" first aired, all I could think was "Shouldn't we be asking 'Who wants to be a good person?'" It's one of those wild dreams I have as an American dad: That our culture will finally start sending messages that are actually good for my kids to internalize.No, I haven't been holding my breath.A bit later, two filmsRussell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1142272751834587312006-03-13T14:55:00.000-03:002006-11-12T20:31:05.347-03:00Graduation madnessSound thinking from the folks at www.ThinkProgress.org :College athletics sponsors like Nike, Adidas, and Reebok make millions of dollars each year by adorning college athletes with their "swooshes" and other brand logos. Now, those corporations have an opportunity to help college athletes in the classroom. Today, the Progress Report is launching Graduation Madness: The March Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1141409447190564742006-03-03T15:04:00.000-03:002006-11-12T20:31:04.974-03:00Three questions for bedtimeBy Russell KingOne night, years ago, Logan was having a sleepover with a bunch of little buddies and they would not settle down at bedtime. Rhonda looked at me and said, "OK story-teller, do your thing." My creative well was dry at the moment, so I just started telling the first story that popped into my head. Why a story by Leo Tolstoy, which I'd heard probably 20 Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1141011462302369382006-02-27T00:35:00.000-03:002006-11-12T20:31:04.699-03:00The rise and fall of Daddy Powerby Russell KingYou know you can’t avoid it, but you hope it’s farther off than it is. You’re never quite sure what’s worse: the pain of an end and a loss or the helplessness and hopelessness of dreading what you know is coming. There is always the rationalization that the ending of this is merely the beginning of that, but the consolation is slight. When it strikesRussell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1138598645137158542006-01-30T02:20:00.000-03:002006-11-12T20:31:04.398-03:00Christmas lives on in WisconsinBy Russell KingThe American dads living in Wisconsin got a bad rap last month, and it’s time for this one to speak up about it. Wisconsin got tagged as some sort of hotbed of heathenism, the cradle of an anti-Christmas crusade, and I’m here to tell you that it’s hogwash. Some other American dads and moms from Wisconsin are going a bit further and demanding an Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1135303064256413562005-12-22T22:28:00.000-03:002006-11-12T20:31:04.159-03:00Object lessons for fathers and sons by fathers and sonsBy Russell KingPriorities in life Stan Van Gundy, the head coach of the professional basketball team in Miami, recently decided that the rewards of spending time with his family outweighed the rewards of his job. The millions of dollars, the fame, the glitz and the glamour simply were not enough to justify the many weeks on the road away fromRussell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1134449322541012962005-12-13T01:29:00.000-03:002006-11-12T20:31:03.813-03:00Feeding the beast in the culture of deathBy Russell KingTookie Williams's plea for his life has been rejected by both the California and U.S. Supreme Courts, and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has refused to grant him clemency, so the convicted killer will be executed at midnight (Tuesday, December 13). By the time most of you read this, he'll be dead. It gives this American dad reason to Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1134104583498712742005-12-09T01:59:00.000-03:002006-11-12T20:31:03.542-03:00I remember JohnBy Russell KingTwenty-five years ago today, December 8, John Lennon was killed. I'll not go into details about what his life, words and death meant to me, except to note that my first child is named after him. Instead, I'll leave you with a few of his words on fatherhood."The pressures of being a parent are equal to any pressure on earth. To be a conscious parent, and really look Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1133531243783306102005-12-02T10:24:00.000-03:002006-11-12T20:31:03.216-03:00This one should make American dads fighting madBy Russell KingJust when you thought the world was about as insane as it can get, it goes one step farther and proposes testing chemicals on abused, neglected and orphan children. As absurdly immoral -- as unthinkable -- as that sounds the federal Environmental Protection Agency is indeed revising its testing procedures to allow for just that. Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1132876180889184032005-11-24T20:01:00.000-03:002006-11-12T20:31:02.873-03:00For unto us a child is bornBy Russell King For those of us who call ourselves Christians, the season of Advent (explained below) is close upon us. From the 8th century, it's been observed as a time of fasting and contemplating Christ's birth, teaching and example. And, as an American dad, I have to ask: What does it mean to be a dad in a world in which 6 million children die each year, mostly Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1132330558255844632005-11-18T13:12:00.000-03:002006-11-12T20:31:02.432-03:00The sign reads "Thanks to: Brian + Alma Hart, Senator Kennedy, and everyone else who care for our wellbeing and makes an effort -- you have saved lives." See the story behind the picture in the post below.Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1132330133939850852005-11-18T12:46:00.000-03:002006-11-12T20:31:02.111-03:00A grieving American dad gives thanksBrian Hart and his wife Alma lost their 20-year-old son, John Daniel Hart two years ago. Shortly before he died, John told his father that he and his buddies were concerned that their Humvee had no bulletproof armor--or even metal doors. Sadly, he was right to be concerned. Here is Brian's letter of 11/05/05. --Russ We received this photo by email from Sgt. Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1131814567583853132005-11-12T12:47:00.000-03:002006-11-12T20:31:01.569-03:00A quarter ton of hopeBy Russell KingAbout this time of year, five years ago, the road in my eldest son's life turned treacherous. Not just bumpy. Not just rocky. Not just slippery or steep or full of sharp turns. His personal inner demons joined forces with some severe health problems and, together, they nearly destroyed him. As his dad, I had no choice but to intervene in a way that causedRussell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1131246574862065032005-11-06T00:04:00.000-03:002006-11-12T20:31:01.129-03:00In the beginning.... There were no diapersI haven't yet read the book, but this was too good not to pass it along. --RKby Tim BeteMy first book, In The Beginning…There Were No Diapers, was recently published. It answers earth-shattering questions, such as “How do I know I'm a parent?” “How do I change a diaper in an airplane restroom?” and “Where can I find the volume control on my kids?”While Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1130940755488239142005-11-02T11:02:00.000-03:002006-11-12T20:31:00.819-03:00The lessons, myths, reality of Rosa ParksThe following was written by Leonard Pitts Jr., one of America's brighter lights. The implications of what he says about the lessons of Rosa Parks is so important for our children, and for parents, that I can make no further comment -- except to say that the implications ring true no matter what color our skin may be.''Noncooperation with evil is as much aRussell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1129902409411773572005-10-21T11:43:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:31:00.252-03:00Return to "assland": TV, garbage and hypocricyBy Russell KingHere's a news item that caught this American Dad's eye this past week. It has to do with what's going into our kids' brains (or not).First, take a look at this (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9752995/): Four Fox Network programs, led by the comedies "The War at Home," "The Family Guy" and "American Dad," topped a parents group’s annual Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1127681148578937072005-09-25T18:43:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:30:59.953-03:00Scenes from the life of an American dadBy Russell KingI heard 5-year-old Jaden’s voice through the window, so looked out to see what was happening. There he was, alone in the backyard, throwing his football into the air and then running and diving to make heroic catches for imaginary first downs and touchdowns against tough imaginary opponents.The scene whisked me back almost 40 years when I Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1125933567949373632005-09-05T12:19:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:30:59.735-03:00Everything I need to know I learned in my kid's kindergartenBy Russell KingJaden started kindergarten this week. Should be no big deal, right? After all, he’s the 5th child in this family to take the plunge into public schools. You might think we’d be used to this. You might think we’ve got it down to a science. You might think it’d be just another day. You might be wrong.Those first days just Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1124397524092015732005-08-18T18:09:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:30:59.343-03:00Is the American dad obsolete?By Russell KingThis morning, the "Good Morning America" TV show, with an audience of 4.3 million, talked on at leangth about the book Raising Boys without Men by Peggy Drexler. In short, Drexler asserts that not only do boys raised without fathers turn out OK, they even excel at life. I'll pause while you laugh, scream or say impolite words. Men as fathers are not Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1124209974516244792005-08-16T14:31:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:30:59.002-03:00Garbage in, garbage out, and the lust to buyBy Russell KingLast week, when writing about the unhealthy influence of mass media on kids, I mentioned that I think the greatest threats is the indoctrination of our children to the anti-values of consumerism, materialism and greed – an infection I call the "lust to buy." Rhonda and I were talking it over this week, looking for a way to combat this Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1123453846495305262005-08-07T20:26:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:30:58.684-03:00Welcome to AsslandBy Russell KingFile this one under "Wisdom from the mouths of babes." Four-year-old Maya said, "I don't really like Assland."Rhonda: "What did you say?" Maya: "I don't really like Assland." Rhonda: "What?"Maya, pointing the TV: "You know: Assland"The TV was playing the video "Alice in Wonderland." I think the misunderstanding, though, was closer to the truth: TV really is "Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1122785118490104562005-07-31T02:34:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:30:58.490-03:00News that hit me as a dadBy Russell KingNo original reporting or writing claimed here: just bits of news worth noting as a dadChildren are dying as I write this. Information and pictures can be found here http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4717907.stm and here http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4700173.stm. Tell your readers to contact everyone they know and get the word out. Here are some Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1122411292333514722005-07-26T18:52:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:30:58.137-03:00Harry Potter and the demons of dogmaBy Russell KingWith the arrival this past week of the latest Harry Potter novel, the now too familiar discussion of its "evils" has been revived. As an American dad, I decided I’d better check into it. Here’s what I found out.Several groups and individuals, calling themselves "Christian," have branded the Harry Potter books as satanic and gateways to witchcraftRussell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1120930449363888652005-07-09T15:31:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:30:57.842-03:00Confessions of an American dadby Russell KingEver meet one of those American dads who has all the answers? He’s supremely confident in his fatherly knowledge, understanding and wisdom. Every decision he makes, he’s certain, is correct. While I find him a refreshing balance to the clueless, uninvolved, idiotic dads who populate TV, advertising and movies these days, I also find him impossible to Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1120447431761844582005-07-04T01:21:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:30:57.486-03:00What shall we tell the kids about the 4th of July?By Russell KingTomorrow is Independence Day, and I’ve been giving some thought to how I, as an American dad, should treat the day. What do I want the kids to know?First, I want them to know that our nation, like any living thing, was born messy and immature. I want them to know that our nation, like every one of us, is a work in progress: that we Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1119554130107848332005-06-23T17:12:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:30:57.163-03:00American dads take on video violenceBy Russell KingHell hath no fury like a woman scorned? Wait until you see the butt-whoopin’ handed out by a ticked-off dad who thinks his kids are threatened. Corporate America had better watch out. The pimps in designer suits are getting rich selling culture-crap to our kids; some dads are fixin’ to fight back. I almost feel sorry for the suits.Ronald Moten, aRussell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1118157006998023922005-06-07T13:02:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:30:56.858-03:00Buy the lemonade and don't ask for changeI was so moved by this story, written by Jesse Kornbluth on his blog, that I had to share it with you here. Enjoy. --RussWe don't want to say goodbyeWe don't want to feel that emptyBut it's time to face the dawn head onWhen there's something in the windWhen the days go getting shorterAnd the nights run cold and clear down hereWe'll take each new day to Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1118027326768092812005-06-06T01:02:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:30:56.634-03:00A scenic detour on the path of an American DadBy Russell KingSome times, in the life of an American Dad, the path toward helping your kids find their way to adulthood takes a quick loop back to treasured moments you thought were gone. Sometimes the detour lets you glimpse some possibilities to come.Danny, when he was just a couple of years old, practiced being like me. I’d laugh at something, andRussell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1116039276972644872005-05-14T00:53:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:30:55.905-03:00Some father’s thoughts on Mother’s DayBy Russell KingAs Mother’s Day came and went, I gave some thought to what the day means for American dads. I’ve decided that it’s more important to us than Father’s Day. Father’s Day is nice—who couldn’t use at least one day a year to have the people they love most tell them how great they are?—but Mother’s Day helps us get the job done. Which job is that? Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1114628167760013282005-04-27T16:53:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:30:55.519-03:00A time to live, a time to die...By Russell KingNow that the furor over Terri Schiavo has subsided, I'd like to ask some questions about what lessons our words and actions are teaching our children about death. Because the Schiavo battle was fought mainly on religious—and specifically Christian—grounds, and because Christianity is my own spiritual and cultural framework, I’ll deal first with the Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1112414335276085902005-04-01T09:58:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:30:55.228-03:00Sex, truth and happinessBy Russell KingAs an American dad, I’m ever on the lookout for cultural messages and “conventional wisdom” that pose threats to the health or happiness of my kids. It’s not too tough to find them: We’re drowning in them. The most visible threats come from the worlds of sports and entertainment, both of which thrive on outdated, unhealthy and downright degrading attitudes, Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1107437322251506272005-02-03T10:25:00.000-03:002006-11-12T20:30:54.926-03:00Moment to cling to when times are tough
By Russell King
Moments will come, during life as an American dad that will give you the notion that you’re not an entire failure. Moments will come that will make you proud.
Maya and Jaden, now 4 and 5, were settling down for the night. Teeth were brushed and PJs were on, but stories had not yet begun. You’d think we were safe in our little cocoon of Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1104438970150629152004-12-30T17:33:00.000-03:002006-11-12T20:30:54.392-03:00Speaking of miracles
By Russell King
This is the time of year when you most often hear the world “miracle.” There’s one in a manger and another on 34th Street, and it seems every publication on the newsstand has a seasonal miracle story, from defying death and disease to finding lost loves. Well, I’ve got one, too.
My miracle story, however, has no angels of the winged breed, no heavenly Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1103666716671672122004-12-21T18:49:00.000-03:002006-11-12T20:30:46.518-03:00Christmas confessions of a nutjob
By Russell King
I’ll admit it: As a dad, I’m what is now popularly called a “religious nutjob.” My life as a father is inspired, informed and enriched by the life and love of Christ (for that matter, so is every other role of my life at home, at work, in politics, in writing). It’s the window frame through which I view life. My kids are so used to seeing me Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1101700290575573622004-11-29T01:47:00.000-03:002006-11-12T20:30:46.211-03:00The ungentle lessons of life
By Russell King
My survival as an American dad has depended on my willingness and ability to learn from life. Most of the lessons are the slow, sneaky kind. You soak them up, a drop at a time, the way your shirt moistens on a hike in the woods. They change who you are and how you live long before you even realize they happened. Other lessons leap out of the forest Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1098208824872020572004-10-19T15:56:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:30:45.862-03:00Real men say "I'm sorry"
By Russell King
"ME...ME say I'm sorry! Kings never say 'I'm sorry!' And I am the mightiest king in all the world!"
Bartholomew looked the King square in the eye. "You may be a mighty king," he said. "But you're sitting in oobleck up to your chin. And so is everyone in your land. And if you won't even say you're sorry, you're no sort of a king at all!"
-- Dr. Seuss, Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1096482522773402112004-09-29T16:27:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:30:45.557-03:00A father's wish list
By Russell King
What, really, do we wish for our children? What is it we’re really willing to work to help them obtain or achieve? Health and happiness are the two quickest answers. Good education? Financial security? Home and family? Sure. Some parents also mention values or character traits, such as toughness, honesty and a good work ethic. There’s one, however, Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1095786209339810492004-09-21T15:02:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:30:45.274-03:00A deadly disease threatens our sons
By Russell King
A number of diseases that once threatened children have been all but wiped out over the past few years. Smallpox is one. Polio is another. But one particularly deadly bug that infects boys is, after being thought nearly eradicated, making a comeback. This killer is commonly called “insensitivity.” As a dad, of course, I’m keen on protecting myRussell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1093980266319267682004-08-31T17:22:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:30:44.948-03:00Clean your plate!
By Russell King
I can still hear my father’s and mother’s voices saying those famous words of parenthood: “Clean your plate. There are starving children in Africa.” I knew some kids whose parents cited the starving children in China. Some, because I grew up in the 60s, noted the children of Vietnam. These children, we were told, would give their right arm for half the food we Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1092337121346237402004-08-12T16:52:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:30:44.673-03:00Daddy gets mad-dog mean
By Russell King
Dads are a protective bunch. Hurt us and we’ll turn the other cheek; hurt one of our kids and we’ll make “operation shock and awe” look like a picnic in the park. This protective impulse is particularly strong when it comes to our daughters.
Daughters get extra protection probably because we’re still carrying some caveman instincts, but undoubtedly Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1090071789324495492004-07-17T11:37:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:30:44.370-03:00Watch out world, Hannah's racing your way
By Russell King
This past week, Hannah, 12, competed in a summer track meet and finished first in the 80-meter hurdles and the 100-meter dash. Her best time was just a second slower than the best time of the fastest local high school girl, and she’s not yet started the 7th grade. You’re thinking: “Sure, proud parent of the kid who won, yada, yada, Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1089559242777908392004-07-11T13:15:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:30:44.032-03:00On murder, suicide and fatherhood
By Russell King
Two fathers were in the news recently, but coverage was so thin that I’d like to make special note of them here. What these American Dads said is worthy of our attention.
The first is U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith, a Republican from Oregon, who did what seemed impossible: He injected a healthy dose of real fatherhood into the Senate and brought the Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1089066117506266192004-07-05T20:12:00.001-02:002006-11-12T20:30:43.753-03:00It's not OK to say 'moose' in public
By Russell King
Rhonda and I were out to dinner, just the two of us. The food was good, the conversation was great, and the woman across the table still made my heart race: The perfect evening. Perfect, that is, until the conversation at a neighboring table grew loud enough for us to hear.
Two young men (early 20s, I guessed) out with two young women: Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1088392242691825002004-06-28T01:06:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:30:42.785-03:00Wasn't the idea to honor our fathers on Father's Day?
By Russell King
When the fat Sunday edition of the newspaper arrived on Father’s Day, I opened it to see what sort of tribute would be paid to American dads in 2004. The pickin’s were slim.
The Father’s Day materials were both buried (nine sections in) and anemic (one feature, one column and one recipe—yes, recipe). The column carried theRussell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1087654376367559752004-06-19T12:09:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:30:42.524-03:00Note: You can now shop for American Dad signature gifts, for yourself and others, by clicking on the link to the right of this column. I know it's what you've all been waiting for! (The variety of items from which to choose is small right now, but it will grow so keep checking.)
A Father's Day tribute
By Russell King
On this Father’s Day I’d like to tell you about my own American dad. My Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1087187202331734682004-06-14T02:24:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:30:41.978-03:00Who am I?
By Russell King
My children are not their reproductive organs. Nor are they the culture around them or the culture of their ancestors. My children are neither their sexual desires nor the color of their skin (in our case, a range from very dark to very pale). They are not their money. They are not victims.
OK, if that’s who they are not, then who are they? That’s being decided Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1086837646076297422004-06-10T01:18:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:30:41.641-03:00It's OK, he's a winner
By Russell King
Logan, 10, was batting in a little league baseball game. He’s playing now at a level where it’s entirely kid vs. kid (no more T-ball, no more coach-pitch), scores are kept and it seems to matter whether the game is won or lost. The game was tied at zero in the late innings and Logan’s team had the bases loaded with two out. The pitcher delivered the Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1084422478383197712004-05-13T02:26:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:30:41.374-03:00My father's pump
The path from porch to well was worn by years
of steady use, although the house could boast
of running water long ago. The neck
and handle—rough with age--stood hard against
the gentle garden colors just beyond.
She watched him haul the buckets, one a side
to keep his balance, and shook her head. “The need
to carry pails from outdoors in has passed.”
He stopped, a foot Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1084421930238443172004-05-13T02:17:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:30:41.140-03:00Don't pee in the pool, don't swim in the toilet
By Russell King
Do you think President George W. Bush pees in the pool when he swims? Do think Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld wears dirty underwear? I have come to believe that a great many men and women in leadership positions in our country are guilty of such offenses and, as a dad, it really bugs me.
It bugs me because growing up to beRussell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1078116780869519512004-03-01T01:53:00.000-03:002006-11-12T20:30:40.799-03:00Knowing when to take it to heart, and when not
By Russell King
Imagine this: You’re playing on your company softball team and you’ve taken your 5-year-old son along so he can watch his old man try to prove he’s not all that old. In the final inning, losing by three runs, you come up to bat with the bases loaded and two out. This is the stuff of beer commercials, legends and poetry: You Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1076909030285923552004-02-16T02:23:00.000-03:002006-11-12T20:30:40.595-03:00One of dad's duties to his daughters
By Russell King
I wasn’t going to comment on the Super Bowl Breast Incident (SBBI), because everyone else in the world did. But now, because everyone else in the world won’t quit commenting on it, I’ve got two cents to put in as a dad. Two cents, two words: Shut up!
Helping my daughters maintain healthy thoughts and feelings about their bodies is tough Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1075573683646966942004-01-31T15:28:00.000-03:002006-11-12T20:30:40.425-03:00Winning and losing as dads
By Russell King
“Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.” This quote–this motto of modern American manhood–attributed to Vince Lombardi, the legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers professional football team, is held as unassailable truth in our culture. Fathers pass it on to sons as if it is the Reader’s Digest condensed version of all the great wisdom Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1075089730788081632004-01-26T01:02:00.000-03:002006-11-12T20:30:40.125-03:00Healing the American family
By Russell King
I am happy to report that my soldier-dad pen pal in Baghdad—Sergeant First Class David Rhein, of whom I have written before--will very soon be winging his way home. He has fulfilled his duty to his country, now he will address his duty to his family.
As we’ve conversed by letter, we’ve crossed the border of safe conversation into the danger zone of Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1073845237691369942004-01-11T15:20:00.000-03:002006-11-12T20:30:39.749-03:00Liar, liar, pants on fire
By Russell King
What's the main thing our children learn in school? Reading? Math? Nope. Lying. They learn to lie to themselves. They learn to quietly accept lies told them by grownups. They learn to get through the day by use of the lies, big and little, by which we all live.
Schools teach our children to lie by forcing them to play a game of make-believe. Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1073262787487721682004-01-04T21:33:00.000-03:002006-11-12T20:30:39.437-03:00The gift of a glimpse to a bygone day
By Russell King
Maybe it’s the new year, maybe it’s the early sunsets of winter, maybe it’s the gray whiskers that are starting to appear in my beard, but something has me reflecting on the past a little more than usual. I keep reliving a day, more than 10 years ago, when Danny and I went fishing and he presented me with a gift as unexpected as it was Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1072461200437312752003-12-26T14:53:00.000-03:002006-11-12T20:30:38.817-03:00The hidden dad of Christmas
By Russell King
This time of year, most of us who call ourselves Christians focus a great deal of attention on the Nativity scene. The center, of course, is the Christ child. We sing songs about him, and those around him: mother Mary, a few shepherds, assorted farm animals, three wise men and even a little drummer boy (never mind that the animals, wise men and Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1072210303141692892003-12-23T17:11:00.000-03:002006-11-12T20:30:38.455-03:00Dad, you're not what you think
By Russell King
Fatherhood gives you pretty high standing in the first few years, then it seems as though it plunges you into the depths of ill repute. Up until second or third grade, kids see their dads as godlike creatures—all knowing and all powerful—but the view changes over night.
You go to bed a superstar, you wake up a bum. All other dads are cooler. Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1070312357091124102003-12-01T17:59:00.000-03:002006-11-12T20:30:38.199-03:00Fatherhood is all about choices
By Russell King
Two friends of mine lost their fathers this week. Both men were in their 60s and, judging from what I know of their children as adults and by the what is being said and felt by their children, they were successful in the most important job of their lives: fatherhood. During their lives, these two men apparently made more good choices than bad, Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1069736796228175422003-11-25T02:06:00.000-03:002006-11-12T20:30:37.895-03:00Traditions of fatherhood, not traditional fathers
By Russell King
I don’t have to tell you what’s happening to our traditions. In our frantic, plastic, throw-away world, all of life’s dramas must set up, unfold, peak and resolve in the space of a TV sitcom. Popular songs become golden oldies after 12 months. Family meals have yielded to impatient trips through the fast-food drive-up window.Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1069219946234436332003-11-19T02:32:00.000-03:002006-11-12T20:30:37.600-03:00The Sacrifices of Soldier-dads
By Russell King
There is a group of dads about whom, almost every day, we read, hear, debate and pray, but we never think of as dads. They are soldiers. Make no mistake: Beneath those sand-scoured uniforms beat the hearts of fathers, complete with all the passions, dreams, yearnings and fears that you and I know.
Perhaps we think of them as soldiers instead ofRussell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1068694238272164922003-11-13T00:30:00.000-03:002006-11-12T20:30:37.197-03:00Hey! Where did Dad go?
By Russell King
If you're a dad, you just barely exist. We talk a lot in this culture about how important dads are, but we don't mean it. Almost any time you read or hear about how important dads are, it turns out to be an attempt to shame deadbeat dads--most of whom should never have been fathers in the first place--to meet their financial obligations.
Forget Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1067781119844019232003-11-02T10:51:00.000-03:002006-11-12T20:30:36.974-03:00What do we wish for our kids?
By Russell King
Every couple of weeks a friend or relative forwards to me via e-mail some bit of writing they have found entertaining, educational or inspirational. There's one that keep coming around with comments like "this is so true," "have a tissue handy" or "everyone in America should read this." It's attributed to Paul Harvey, but it’s a hoax. I've read it Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1067284349526358922003-10-27T16:52:00.000-03:002006-11-12T20:30:36.797-03:00A perfect time and place to be a dad
By Rusell King
One thing they never warn you about when they're preparing you for parenthood (meager as that preparation generally is) is the asking of the great unanswerable questions. From 2 to 10, kids excel at this. When my son Danny was 6 years old, he was a champ.
Can we touch the moon? Do birds fly there? His little brain raced ahead, exploring Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1066615640022130532003-10-20T00:07:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:30:36.557-03:00Rethinking the racial academic gap
By Russell King
"Dad, if I show them how smart I am, they say I'm trying to be white." Those were the words of my teenage son trying to explain why he was failing every class, despite having an IQ well above average.
You’ll note that he did not say he was being cheated, discouraged or oppressed by white teachers or white administrators. You’ll note that heRussell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1065385553797747542003-10-05T18:25:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:30:36.282-03:00Rearing gentlemen in the 21st century
By Russell King
At the risk of sounding like some narrow-minded ultra right-winger on a bad TV talk show, I'll tell you that rearing three sons in this culture scares me. I'm trying to rear them as gentlemen, but the culture is pulling them the other way.
Here's an example. When the famous basketball coach, Bobby Knight, was fired for giving a student anRussell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1064703238985015462003-09-27T20:53:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:30:36.051-03:00Halloween just doesn't scare me
By Russell King
Every year about this time, we hear of parents objecting, in the name of Christianity, to the celebration of Halloween. Their assertion is that Halloween is the celebration or practice of witchcraft, forbidden by the Old Testament books of Exodus and Deuteronomy. Count me as one dad who disagrees.
We can talk about their misuse of the scriptures Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1064005281544856872003-09-19T19:01:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:30:35.786-03:00Fatherhood as a Frigidaire
By Russell King
What do dads, refrigerators and indoor plumbing have in common? They get used several times a day in essential ways, but no one pays them a thought until they're not there.
The refrigerator goes unmentioned until someone opens the door to find warm air and spoiled meat, cheese, mayo and milk. From the wailing that follows, you'd guess a dear friendRussell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1063564368639548732003-09-14T16:32:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:30:35.508-03:00Is fatherhood a blessing or a burden?
By Russell King
Because I have six children, I am often asked, "How do you manage?" How do you have time for anything? How can you be so calm?
The stresses of family life are compounded for us because ours became large in an unusually short time. When Rhonda and I married, we were single parents of two each, so overnight our family doubled. Within two Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1062730630955020792003-09-05T00:57:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:30:34.812-03:00Zero tolerance for zero tolerance
By Russell King
"Zero tolerance" policies are all the rage these days, but my journeys as both a father and a son have left me bucking the trend.
My eldest brother once asked our dad, rather bluntly, "You raised me with an iron fist, but you let Russell get away with murder. Why?" "Murder," I think, is kind of a strong word, but there's no doubt Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1062082855416151132003-08-28T13:00:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:30:34.608-03:00Fatherhood since September 11
By Russell King
I was holding 8-month-old Maya the morning of September 11. She was fussing over her bottle so I wasn't paying much attention to TV. When I looked up, the second airliner was hitting the second tower. Since then, we dads must rethink what we'll teach our children.
We've always known that life can be snatched away without warning or Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1061652014588804392003-08-23T13:20:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:30:34.179-03:00Hey, Dad, wake up!
By Russell King
With only a curtain between us and the next couple in the triage unit, privacy was not an option. Rhonda was still hours away from labor, but the young mom in the next bed was making noises of serious discomfort. The young dad was sitting, reading a magazine, so our attention was to the impending drama.
She tried to tell him about what was happening to her,Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1060829561592531522003-08-14T00:52:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:30:33.970-03:00"Normal" is a setting on a washing machine
By Russell King
The following bizarre tales are as true as they are freakish.
This weekend, my wife, Rhonda, and my ex-wife, Kim, are traveling together to a distant city to attend a concert with my sister. They’ll share a hotel room, and then the two wives will drive home together. The two women who’ve been married to me will spend nearly 24 Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1060307816463524952003-08-07T23:56:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:30:33.816-03:00Just one more
By Russell King
According to legend, Nelson Rockefeller, when asked "How much money is enough?" answered "Just a little bit more." It doesn't matter if the story is true, because it works as a useful reminder for us grownups, and a useful lesson for the kids, about the folly of putting your hopes for happiness in the pursuit of wealth. On the other hand, as a dad, I can Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640722.post-1059858029954361152003-08-02T19:00:00.000-02:002006-11-12T20:30:33.517-03:00The Importance of mowing in earnest
By Russell King
You wouldn't think that mowing the lawn was that big a deal. It's a chore. Worse, it's a chore usually accompanied by heat and humidity, biting and stinging insects and the threat of sunburn--hardly the stuff of a meaningful moment.
But there it was. I mowed the long edge of the yard, then turned to make the return trip. That's Russell Kinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07584441005616023265noreply@blogger.com