Category Archives: Life lessons

Skull ☠Kickers Dad

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“What interests me? What interests you, my friend.”

—Greg Hague

Today’s story is contributed by Jim Zub.

My Dad wasn’t into comic books when I was young. But he knew my brother and I were crazy about them.
Skull-Kickers Comic Books

Jim’s dad, Joe Zubkavich

It felt like every waking moment was a cavalcade of reading, collecting and nonstop chatter about our favorite characters. He’d bring us along when he went downtown once or twice a month. My brother and I would immediately go to the comic book shop.

I don’t actually ever recall Dad going into the store with us. He’d run his errands and then wait for us outside. He didn’t “get” the comic book thing, didn’t have any interest, and I think staying away from the store kept us from asking him for extra money.

Dad never bought comics for my brother and me. We used the money we earned. And, Dad had zero knowledge of the ins and outs of four-color fandom beyond the occasional episode of Batman or the Incredible Hulk on TV. READ MORE 

Shepherd or Sheep?

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“A truly strong person does not need the approval of others any more than a lion needs the approval of sheep.”

—Vernon Howard

Today’s story is contributed by Katie Landon.

My sophomore year in high school. I forget what theater. I forget what movie. But I will never forget what Dad did that day.

sheperd or sheep

Katie and her dad, showing off creations from the Indian Princesses summer camp they attended in Dallas

A group of people were standing in queue, waiting to buy tickets. I instinctively looked for the back of the line and proceeded that way. But Dad? He walked right around them!

I paused for a second, figuring he would see, come back, and join me in line. But Dad gave me a wave and marched on. I reluctantly followed. I could feel the scowls. The accusatory stares. Line standers glaring at us with condemning eyes as we passed. So embarrassing. READ MORE 

The Nerd in My Class

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“My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.”

—Dalai Lama

Today’s story is contributed by Elizabeth Parsons

I was one of the cool kids growing up. No prom queen. No belle of the ball. But no reject either.

The nerd in the class? R.J. “Booger-face”, “Dork-dude”. Gangly, mangy and awkward — R.J. was fodder for bullies.

He had few friends. His family was poor. He couldn’t afford the Chuck Taylors, Polo Ts, and Sebagos… the trendy “icons of cool” the rest of us wore.

nerd

Liz and her brother Daniel

Teasing R.J. became the unofficial school sport. When he wasn’t the object of jokes, he was completely ignored.

I felt sorry for R.J., and was routinely polite. But I didn’t befriend him, I’m ashamed to say. Having a nerd as a friend would have been social suicide… too much for image-conscious me.

At the time, I was about to turn twelve. There were 32 kids in my class. On the invite list for my twelfth birthday party, only 28. Everyone minus R.J. and a few other “losers.”

Dad asked to see the list. “Who’s missing?” he asked (though I suspect he already knew). The nerds, I thought to myself. “Tina, Jamie, Juan, and R.J.,” I confessed. READ MORE 

Dad Had My Back

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“When my father didn’t have my hand… he had my back.”

—Linda Poindexter

Today’s story is contributed by Jason Dwurple.

Until I was 14 or so, my life at school was hell.
Every day, a new humiliation.

My name is Jason Dwurple — yep, you heard right. As if being the only Catholics in a small town wasn’t bad enough, I grew up with the strangest name on the planet (Dwurple became “Dorkel,” “Twirple” — you get the idea).

Dad had my back

Jason and his father Bob on a hike in Northern California.

For these reasons and more, I was a natural target. I was bullied unmercifully day after day.

Today there is public awareness of how bad bullying can be. Not when I was young. It was largely ignored — “just part of growing up.”

I didn’t tell my parents — I was embarrassed. I didn’t want Mom to worry. And Dad — well, we were never that close.

I was sensitive, pensive and awkward, the polar opposite of Dad. In fact, I spent most of my childhood thinking I was a disappointment to him. Unlike me, my father was a tough guy, a character. People laughed at his jokes. They listened when he spoke. READ MORE 

The Day I Learned Parents Are Real People Too

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“There was a little girl, Who had a little curl, Right in the middle of her forehead.
When she was good, She was very good indeed, But when she was bad she was horrid.”

—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Today’s story is contributed by Elizabeth Parsons.

For a time, I was the kid you prayed you didn’t get. Hard-headed. Smart-mouthed. Opinionated. Disobedient.

sister and brother

Liz (behaving for once) with her little brother Daniel

Dad? Arch enemy #1 (probably because we are so alike).

What did we fight about? Everything. Bedtime. Friends. TV shows. Madonna. (I worshipped her; Dad was not impressed).

My mission in life: to prove Dad wrong; to show I was right.

Where did I get this obstinate streak? Probably from my lawyer Dad. When he was a kid, he was a handful, too. When he didn’t get his way, he’d hold his breath until he fainted — at least I didn’t do that. READ MORE 

Draw A Wider Circle

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“Fear makes strangers of people who would be friends.”

— Shirley MacLaine

This story is contributed by Lori Holden.

My name is Lori. Today, I’ll share what may be the greatest life lesson in the history of humankind — spoken through the words of my Dad.

Want to have a richer life? Dad told us the secret early on…

“Draw a wider circle.”

A bit anticlimactic, you say? Well, few words can speak great volumes. Let me explain.

I grew up with two sisters. Sometimes we came home whining, “The other kids won’t play with me!” or “They’re leaving me out!” or “Nobody likes me!”

Dad would always respond simply…

“Draw a wider circle.”
draw a wider circle

Lori and her dad (both right) and family

He said it repeatedly, ad nauseum. Dad was big on aphorisms, but that’s another story.

He suspected that more often than not, we were actually excluding ourselves by making assumptions about others. He constantly reminded us that the other kids were scared of making new friends too, so we could choose to be the ones to approach them and join in on activities. Dad was determined to raise three confident and assertive young women. READ MORE 

I Said ‘No’ to a Boy at the School Dance

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“It’s better to be kind than to be right.”

—Bruce Redding

Today’s story is contributed by Laura Donovan.

Laura Donovan lost her dad early in life. But she’s never forgotten one lesson he taught.

Today she reflects back to a middle school dance…a boy who asked for her hand. She turned him down. When dad found out? Hold on… Not what she thought!

My parents were late for everything during my childhood.

school dance

Laura and her father Paul, 2005

When we lived in LA, I was always at least ten minutes late to elementary school. I was the last kid picked up at day care. My parents made me late for every birthday party to which I was invited. But my parents were never late to pick me up from middle school dances. They were held in the gymnasium every month.

Even when I’d give my parents the wrong pick up time, they figured it out, and often arrived ten minutes before the end of the event. This cut into the last few songs of the night, just when my friends and I had finally racked up enough courage to ask boys to dance. READ MORE