T.V. Role Models

My father died when I was young so I sought out father figures in many places. I had uncles, family friends and other acquaintances that became father figures me. This allowed me to pick the best attributes from each to emulate. I am also the child of a generation raised on television and had to some extent was a latchkey kid who was babysat by television. In TV Land I found many men whom I wanted to develop their attributes. Upon reading this list I think you will understand why I was not a normal child and am still not a normal adult.*

*This list is about shows that I watched in my more formative years so Don Draper is except from the list.


Fraiser and Niles Crane
Fraiser

For Christmas in fifth grade I really wanted a wool top coat this alone should signify my connection to Frasier and Niles. I mean who didn't want to take their gym clothes to school in a valise?

From the Brothers Crane I learned to have an appreciation for the finer things in life. I learned to listen to classical music and that the awkward teenage years could give way to being an awkward yet successful adult.

Miles Silverberg and Jim Dial
Murphy Brown

Miles was the neurotic produce of FYI who seemed like the ultimate preppy grown up. My love of Brooks Brothers may be traced in part to an episode where Murphy talks Miles out of his office with the promise of a trip to Brooks Brothers.

Jim Dial was the anchor of the fictional television news magazine show. Jim had worked in TV news with Erick Sevareid and Edward R Murrow. He would speak with dedication to journalistic integrity and the role of journalists in a democracy. Jim imparted to me good posture and the reverence and respect someone should have for what they do and the respect for elders who came before you. In large part I think that my beliefs about what the Fourth Estate should be come from this television sit-com.

I never cared for Frank Fontana as a role model and I hate banded collars.

Bryant Gumbel
The Today Show


This one was largely because of my mother. She made me watch The Today every morning for two reasons 1) So that I could get an introduction to current events 2) So that I could watch what Bryant Gumbel was wearing and learn how to dress. This lead to my teenage years where I was always able to dress well when the occasion called for a tie or sports jacket, but I struggled with casual wear. If Today had had casual Fridays my polo shirt tucked into tapered jeans might have been avoided.

Summer 2010

Summer is dying slowly. Its a sad tragic truth that summers end. Summers were once a time of discovery, a time freedom was not an expression but a lifestyle, a time when adventure was born. The older I get the farther those summers seem from me. In response to that gap I have created a list of things that make for a summer to great. These are things that I have done, wanted to do and will endeavor to do every summer for the rest of my life. Please comment on what should be added to the list or tell of experiences doing some of the items on the list.

-Go to a baseball game, eat a hot dog (drink a beer if you're so inclined).
-Drink a Coke from a glass bottle.
-Climb a mountain.
-Go to an outdoor concert.
-Picnic. Take good cheese, crusty bread and olives (and wine, if you're so inclined).
-Go to a beach, swim or surf. Build a sand castle
-Ride a roller coaster
-Go to a festival, carnival, fair or farmer's market.
-Eat Cotton Candy.
-Climb a tree.
-Drink a Slurpee(please make it a real Slurpee, not its pathetic half brother Icee)
-Barbecue, listen to Sublime, Bob Marley, The Beach Boys, Hepcat and The Buena Vista Social Club.
- See at least one person you have not seen in over a year.
-Write something. Put pen to paper and write in long hand; a short story, a poem, a letter just write something not on a computer.
-Walk barefoot on grass.
-Fall in love with a new band.
-Watch a movie that was made before you were born, preferably before your parents were born.
-Ride a horse.
-Swim at night.
-Play a team sport just for fun, softball is preferable.
-Go to a movie, try for a midnight showing.
-Compete in a race.
-See a play.
-Cross something off of your bucket list.
-Add something to your bucket list.
-Road trip.
-Camp.
-Eat at a new restaurant, and try something you have never had before.
-Watch fireworks.
-Do something stupid with your best friend.
-Go to a parade.
-Catch a bug...let it go.
-Go to a snow shack for a Tiger's blood snow cone. Its different than a Slurpee.
-Walk barefoot on grass.
-Go fishing.
-Read something just for fun, something non-fiction, a poem (out loud) and a literary classic.
-Make your own ice cream or sorbet.
-Make a new friend.
-Visit an National Park, Monument or Historic Site.
-Visit a museum.
-Roller skate.
-Build something, anything just make it your own.
-Watch a sunrise and set.
-Ride a bike.
-Remember what its like to be a child.

Yoga Man Needs a Steak

Maggie: I did the yoga class today.

Colt: Oh yeah. How was it?

Maggie: It was good, I liked the new teacher. He was really good at helping me with my form.

Colt: It was a man?

Maggie: That's why I said "he." You would have hated him.

Colt: Why?

Maggie: He said things like "Point your heart towards the earth with this pose."

Colt: hmmm

Maggie:You would have ripped up his "Man Card" huh?

Colt: If any girl has drug her boyfriend/husband there before against his will...that "Man Card" is long gone.

*Please note that doing yoga or teaching does not result in automatic suspension of a "Man Card" but saying things like "let your inner self bond with the trees"(for example) will require action by a committee of men.