The other day, I met a D.C. traffic-directing cop in the line at J.C. Penney, and I remarked how dangerous her job was. “I mean, people in D.C. drive so crazy,” I said. “You could get killed.”
Tag: friendship
The Scary Thing That Makes Us Powerful
One time when I was a kid, I went to this church lock-in, and for whatever reason – I don’t remember – I was being so negative about everything. I was criticizing the building, the food, the people; if it had something to do with the lock-in, it was a target for my put-downs.
Three Lessons About Friendship from a Toddler
Yesterday, my two-year-old daughter and I walked to our neighborhood Walmart, which is a block and a half from our home in Washington, D.C. While we were in the meat department, Renee noticed an elderly lady in an automated wheelchair, but the woman didn’t see us because we were behind her.
Saying Goodbye Wasn’t Part of the Plan
One time I agreed to go tubing down a river with a bunch of friends, thinking it would be something akin to whitewater rafting. It wasn’t. We basically just sat in inner-tubes for several hours and took a slow-moving ride down a shallow river. It sounds easy enough, and generally it is, but the hard part is keeping up with all your friends.
Every Child Needs a “Miss Anne”
We’re in the middle of packing our things to move to Washington, DC, and as you can imagine, doing that with a two and four-year-old is pretty challenging. But yesterday, a lady whom I only know as “Miss Anne” made life a whole lot easier for us and the kids.
What I Learned from the Secretary at WDAM
One time when I was in seventh grade, there was a solar eclipse and my friend Wade and I decided to use it as an opportunity to crank call the local TV station (to the millenials: “crank calling” is something you used to be able to easily do before the miraculous advent of “caller ID.”)
Too Scared to Say No, Too Selfish to Say Yes
It’s so hard for some of us to say no. But saying no is one of the most self-respecting things we can do. We can’t be available to everyone; we can’t say yes to every need; we can’t show up for every invitation.
Give Your Spouse Some Space
Today, I was with my family at Chic-fil-A, and my two-year-old daughter was eating a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich that my wife had in her purse. After my daughter finished her fries, she asked if she could dip her sandwich in her ketchup. “That’s gross – no,” I said.
Why Not Let God Parent Other People?
My oldest daughter recently graduated to big kids’ Sunday School. What that means for her is: goodbye coloring sheets and eating Goldfish; hello memory verses and eight-year-olds.
Proposed Resolution for 2014: Stop Lying
Last July, my wife requested that we meet about our finances before the end of summer. I wasn’t particularly inspired — I don’t like to talk about finances because crunching numbers and talking investment were never my strong suit. But September was a couple of months away, so I said yes to appease her.
How to Handle a Religious Fanatic
At age 19, I was a proud, Bible-thumping holy-roller who was on a one-man mission to save the world from sin. Consequently, I had trouble making friends outside the most sympathetic circle of gracious believers at my church. I mean, people didn’t know what to do with a guy who was always trying to convert everyone – including Christians – to Christianity.
Facing Insecurity, Finding Friendship
It was a Friday night; I was in the first few weeks of my freshman year of college, and I had nothing to do. I needed some friends. To be fair, I had actually made some friends at my new church, but I wasn’t sure I fit in there. Everyone was nice to me at church activities, but our friendships didn’t go much further than that.
Emotional Exhibitionism
I remember one of the first times I barfed out my feelings to a group of people. I was 13-years-old, my family was coming apart, and I needed to talk to someone. Around that time, a caring teacher invited me to a peer counseling group. When it was my turn to talk, it didn’t take long before all the pent-up frustration boiled over into emotion.
You’ve Fallen, and You Can Get Up
Last Tuesday, I mistakenly decided to be cool. I walked out of the house in my snazzy, faux, black Hugo suit, a white shirt, and no tie. I was going to work, but I looked more like I was going clubbing. I walked past my beat up, 1996 Honda Accord, strutted down the sidewalk, and walked down the street to catch the public bus. About fifty yards from the bus stop, I saw my bus go past the 7-11, make the stop, and then move on.
Bickering our Way to a Better Marriage
At the end of our wedding reception, my wife and I walked past the rows of cheering family and friends, climbed into the getaway car, and drove away, utterly euphoric. On the way to the hotel, all the bickering we had done during the engagement seemed to evaporate. Truly, this was a fresh start. I remember thinking, “Wow, those vows really did change me. I don’t believe we’ll ever argue again.” We would not, in fact, argue again – until four days into our honeymoon.
Joshua Rogers 