Making the first move – Plus, Teen Texts, The Booker Prize & Teen Driving

1. Teen Texts

More hilarious teen texts from Instagram’s The Leighton Show. This week’s installments: Election Day and Crock-Pot Season Disdain. As the guy who does most of the cooking in our house, I felt that second one deeply. “Swamp food again?!” 🙂

2. Teenagers Aren’t Driving?

Apparently, fewer teenagers are rushing to get their driver’s licenses these days. This NYT article explores why getting behind the wheel isn’t the rite of passage it once was. I’ve got three teen drivers who were all pretty eager to get this freedom, so I’m not feeling this as much in my house. True in yours?

3. The Booker Prize

The 2026 Booker Prize was awarded this week to The End of Everything by M. John Harrison, an 81-year-old author who just became the oldest winner in the prize’s history. And it’s the first true Si-Fi book to win the award.

The other five finalists:

The Disappearers — Marlon James

Black Bag — Luke Kennard

May We Feed the King — Rebecca Perry

The Things We Never Say — Elizabeth Strout

John of John — Douglas Stuart

Anyone reading any of these? I’m currently in the middle of John of John. Lemme know what I should put next on my list!

​Full Booker Prize shortlist​

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”

— Martin Luther King Jr.

“The only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.”

— Albert Schweitzer

In this family, we move first.

I was in the grocery store a few weeks ago when a woman stopped me to ask if I could reach an item on the top shelf for her. I obliged. She said, “Thank you,” and we both went on our way.

Totally forgettable interaction, but I floated a little lighter throughout the store afterwards. I laughed at myself for feeling so good about my heroics, like I’d just rescued her kid from a burning building.

Silly, I know. But perhaps it’s a little window into how we’re wired as humans. We want to make an impact. To have purpose. To be part of something bigger than ourselves. I think that desire is pretty universal.

And I think we can cultivate this in our kids.

Sure, some of that comes from the bigger things. Making them aware of our charitable giving. Volunteering together. Encouraging them to spend some of their own money on someone else.

But more than anything, I think it’s setting a subtle expectation that in this family, we move first.

The new kid at school who doesn’t know anyone. The crossing guard or janitor who rarely gets acknowledged. The teacher who’s clearly having a rough day.

Keep your eyes open. Notice people. Look for ways to help without being asked.

To be clear, I don’t expect my kids to pick up every piece of litter or defend every kid who gets ridiculed. And we haven’t mastered this by any stretch. Exhibit A: the eye-rolls I get when I tell them to ‘be the reason someone smiles today!’ at school drop-off.

But I will say that this simple expectation to keep your eyes open has led to some pretty profound relationships in our family. People we might never have gotten to know if someone hadn’t taken the first step. And I think it’s given my kids something in return, too. That little sense of purpose I felt reaching for a box on the top shelf.

Now, ask my kids to help each other with something?

That probably ain’t happenin’.

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Thanks for reading, dads.

Let’s make this time count!