Commentary & Short Stories

Here are some of my feelings about surviving Christmas as a parent: 1) Kids should be told that Santa’s fake, and that his round belly, indicative of low testosterone and …

Years ago, probably around 2002, I saw a tall guy wearing shades in a dark Cleveland nightclub. I laughed and said to my brother, “Who’s that?” My bro was like, …

Men tend to forgo preventive healthcare. In fact, we only visit the doctor if we’re dying or have the clap. The Movember Foundation is working to change this by raising …

It’s almost noon. My two youngest boys have just returned home from preschool, where they were quiet and well-behaved. But now they’re back in their comfort zone. They quickly resort …

To eat Arby’s is to punish myself with an instant colon cleanse. But this morning I was willing to take that risk to try Arby’s venison sandwich, which they’re selling …

July 1977: My dad was 20 and spent most of his time managing his afro and a McDonald’s in Cleveland. My mom was 18 and had recently given birth to …

Discount airlines are a great way to travel once you understand that, like prison, their tiny seats can trap your body but not your mind. My favorite is Frontier Airlines. …

There was a time when I held a 100 percent interview-to-hire ratio. Of course I had only had three jobs—grocery bagger, bookseller, and movie theater popcorn eater/maker—but the wins increased …

My day trip to Santa Barbara began at Arroyo Burro Beach. Kids and dogs played, and moms and old folks sunbathed. I wandered along the shore for half an hour …

The first day of our road trip from San Diego to Columbus ended on the run-down part of the Vegas Strip. My wife and I had never of the Westgate …

I do not enjoy winter. With ice comes the risk of slipping and breaking a bone that Donald won’t allow Obamacare to fix. With snow comes blizzards and avalanches and …

When you become a parent, it’s hard to make new friends. Other parents assume your life outside of home is over and you have little to talk about besides the …

Living in Southern California means easy access to Las Vegas. Maybe too easy. Everyone goes and you hear about it far too often, mostly by way of the trite phrase …

We do not fit the stereotype of a family on food stamps. I hold a graduate degree and work as a contractor with community health organizations, along with various other …

Coming into fatherhood I assumed my only baby-related expenses would be diapers and Air Jordans. I was wrong. According to recent estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, I can …

It’s been that said that once you go black, you don’t go back (until your family finds out and threatens to disown you). But it can also be said, as …

Six years ago, when my first child was just a zygote, my former supervisor decided that I should prepare to be a stay-at-home dad. He fired my black ass on …

I was underemployed. My fiancé was looking to resign from her job. We had accidentally given birth to three children. My trust fund, a water cooler bottle full of quarters …

My girlfriend, Amber, stood outside the shower, waiting for it to warm, unsure if her water broke or bladder leaked. I brought my finger to her inner thigh and dabbed …

My wife, Amber, sat on the couch sobbing. I asked her what’s wrong. No response. I figured this was a case of prenatal blues, those far too common occurrences where …