Going Home, The Truman Show & Relishing Summer

3 Things I'm Loving, Reading, Watching or Doing

Loved Going Home

I visited my folks last week and spent some time in my childhood home in Avon, Ohio. I even swung by my old Catholic school where I went from kindergarten through 8th grade.

Here’s something that definitely wouldn’t fly today: When we got our report cards, the head priest would come into each classroom, sit at the front, and call us up one at a time. He’d read our grades out loud and comment on them—good or bad—in front of the whole class. No filter. No sugarcoating. That’s real 80s stuff right there.

Movie Night

The Truman Show

We rewatched The Truman Show with the kids this week. Still a great film. What surprised me most was how relevant it feels especially when it comes to conversations around surveillance, social media, and what’s real vs. curated.

It even sparked a short conversation with my teens about how much of our lives are “on display” now—and what it means to protect your inner world.

One-on-One Walks with My Teen

No phones, just walking the dog around the block for about 20 minutes with one of my teens. Sometimes it’s easier to get them to open up more when we’re shoulder-to-shoulder than face-to-face. Give it a shot.

2 Quotes Worth Pondering

Summer, summer, summertime. Time to sit back and unwind. — DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince

Summertime is always the best of what might be. — Charles Bowden

1 Big Dad Idea

I love summer—and I do everything I can to help my family love it too.

Pools, lakes, and long weekends. Ice cream cones. Endless daylight. Spontaneous road trips. The 4th of July. I guess life seems to be a bit more vibrant.

This summer feels especially meaningful. My oldest is heading into his senior year, which means we’re entering one of the final chapters of his childhood summers at home, and I’m feeling it.

Earlier this week, I sent him and his siblings a quick email to remind them of something I wish I had better understood at their age:

Relish these summers as a kid, because you won’t always have a carefree stretch of months to pretty much do as you please. You’ve got about eight weeks—think about what would make this one great. Make sure fun is at the top of that list. Work a little, get your training in, hang with friends, stay up late, sleep in some, and yes—tune into the 11am Price is Right. Bottom line: enjoy your summer.

It was just a reinforcement of what I preach to them constantly: You can’t get these years back.

Every year as a teenager is unique. The music you love, the friends you hang with, the stuff you're into—it all shifts so fast and you learn so much about yourself each year. But once you hit adulthood, a lot of years start to blur together. Twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-eight…they’re good ages, but they’re not the same as those glorious formative teenage years. Think about it: how many songs are written about being 17 or 18 compared to, say, good old 27?

So I’m doing what I can to help my kids soak up these moments now. And I’m trying to do the same for myself, even as a dad.

Cheers to an amazing summer for all of us.