Wednesday, November 16, 2016

'Counter' culture

I remember the exact moment I ushered my son into manhood. He was 7 years old. We had breakfast at a counter. Eating at a counter in a diner is like a fast pass to breakfast. There’s no waiting. You just take a seat. You never have to flag down your waiter. Someone’s always there. You sit up high. You’re right up front with all the action. You meet people you wouldn’t have met in a booth. And besides, all the cool guys in movies eat at the counter. Sometimes, life needs a meal at a counter. That’s everything to me. What’s everything to you?

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Eating with family

The family that can’t decide where to go to eat for dinner is the family that stays home and has cereal together. That’s everything to me. What’s everything to you?

Saturday, November 12, 2016

Telling stories

You’re with friends out late on a Friday or Saturday night at a 24-hour diner, or you’re with family for the holidays or even a funeral, and you’re all taking turns telling stories. Stories that start with “One time . . .” Stories everyone in the group has experienced together and you’re remembering the incident fondly together, laughing at what you all survived. Or they’re stories that teach you a little something you didn’t know about a family member. Funny stories. Sad stories. Silly stories. You have nowhere to go. Nothing to do. You don’t want it to end. That’s everything to me. What’s everything to you?

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Family walks

I love going to Disneyland with my family -- so much to see, so much to do. Sitting down with my family and watching TV or being together for our traditional viewing of “Miracle On 34th Street” on Thanksgiving night is always enjoyable. But when we go on our family walks -- with nowhere to go and nothing to pull our focus from each other -- I feel there’s nothing more satisfying. That’s everything to me. What’s everything to you?

Saturday, September 24, 2016

Sick at home watching movies all day

It’s never really fun to be sick. But you take the day off work or school. You don’t shower. You don’t change out of your pajamas. Maybe someone brings you food, looks after you. Until you’re better, you don’t have to do anything at all. So you lie on the couch feeling like trash. Maybe you close your eyes and sleep here and there, but you have movies on all day and all night long. You don’t even have to worry about what time you go to bed because you’re taking tomorrow off, too. That’s everything to me. What’s everything to you?

Friday, September 23, 2016

Waking up in the middle of the night

You wake up tired, not even close to ready to shower for work or school. If only you had a few more minutes . . . Wait, it’s the middle of the night. You only went to bed a couple hours ago. You still have a few hours before your alarm goes off. And you can stay in your cozy bed after all. That’s everything to me. What’s everything to you?