Thoughts of a Common Man

23 years ago today my buddy Rosie called me to tell me he had two extra Springsteen tickets for a Saturday before Easter show in Long Island. This is how the conversation went: Rosie: Two extra seats - great seats. Me: Can't be done. Rosie: I'll call you back in 15 minutes. I tried the airlines - way out of my price range. I called a buddy, Tom, and told him of the offer. "Let's go," he said. The phone rings. Rosie: What time you going to be here? Me: About six. Rosie: See you then. Tom and I drove the eight hours - listening to Bruce all the way. We met up with Rosie, listened to Bruce in the parking lot over a couple of beers. The seats were great. Bruce came onstage at 7:45 dressed in a tux. At 12:45 Rosie turned to me and said - "Don't clap for him anymore, maybe he'll leave." Bruce left the stage 15 minutes later, and Tom and I got back in the car and drove all the way to Buffalo - straight thru - listening to Bruce. I arrived at my parents ...

Over the course of the last month my wife has returned to school as she begins her studies to be a nurse. The course work is rough, getting back into school mode is difficult, there's still too much for all of us to do around here, and the boys....man, the boys are getting to be real comic geniuses. The first set of tests came back for Kathy over the course of the last two days. She received a 100 and a 98. "What question did you miss?" I asked. She just offered a frown. Being a good mom, she decided to turn it into a life lesson. "You see what happens when you work hard?" she lectured Jake and Sam. "Every night I study whether I want to or not, or whether there's a good show on or not. The studying comes first." The boys were basically silent for a split-second. But just a split-second. "Don't you want to be like me?" Kathy asked. "Yeah," Sam replied. "I want to be just like you - I wanna' be going to school when I...

Despite my constant complaining about Cheetah Woods and that idiot that married Sandra, I must take the time to confess that there's another woman in my life - maybe two - sorry Kathy - I didn't want to have to tell you like this. I went to bed late last night, thinking of them and the suggestions that they made about what I should do, and I woke up in tears this morning knowing that I'd had a breakthrough, and that everything would be perfect in how I wanted to make it happen. Now for all of you writers and want-to-be-writers out there you've probably already figured out that I am not cheating on my wife - this is about my book editor and my publisher. On Friday evening, wondering what I was going to do for the weekend, back hurting still, not feeling like having a drink, I found my manuscript waiting for me inside the door. As is custom, I ran upstairs, and read through it - counting the number of marks on each page (and there are hardly ever any clean pages) and I re...

In recent days there has been a story making the rounds about a girl who wants to go to her prom - with another girl. The young lady is fighting hard to allow her same-sex partner the rights the other children have in getting ready for the big day. Believe it or not, I was able to finagle a date for each of my proms back in high school. I was thrilled to go too, enjoying all the perks of being a grown-up. I recall being nervous meeting the girls parents as well as being extremely afraid of how my father might act. I made it through each time. During the prom, I acted like a gentleman, wore a flower pinned to my chest, stood proud for the photos, and danced like a mentally-challenged chimp to the collection of Air Supply songs being played. The prom was good for my self-respect, offered me confidence, and I was happy to accept a couple of kisses on the cheek for my hundreds of dollars of investment. I did not develop a long-term relationship with either of my dates, but I grew from ther...

Well, I'm bluer than blue, sadder than sad - you're the only life this empty room has ever had - Life without you is going to be - bluer than blue. Remember that song? It was popular about twenty years ago written and performed by someone named Michael Johnson I don't have to miss no tv shows, I can't start my whole life over - change the number on my telephone, but the nights will sure be colder 'cause I'm bluer than blue, sadder than sad - you're the only life... Great song. I just happened to catch it on Sirius love songs because E Street Radio was playing a scratchy concert version of Bruce doing Twist and Shout - sorry Bruce, that's Lennon's song. I used to walk thru record stores asking anyone if they had a cassette tape of the guy - then I graduated to CD - asked some more - couldn't find him in the folk section, pop section, or any section - always wanted the song for my collection. ...I can run through the house screaming, and no one wil...

So...at least I had my NCAA pools going for me...I was really looking forward to a weekend of watching the games and barking at everyone who'd listen that I was sooooooo smart and that I'd win money again. All I needed out of last night's four games was a Syracuse win. Everything else was just a distraction. Putting the Syracuse game in the bank by ten o'clock would allow me to sleep easy, and wait for the rest of a great weekend. Ten minutes into the game they were down 12-1 - they looked like they were all playing with stones tied to their hands - the ball would hit them and bounce off. Of course, my kids were beside me laughing it up, reminding me that I am indeed a little slow. An aside here, I swear I have my children believing that as a nine-year old I starred in the NBA as a white kid from West Virginia who made the Lakers. "How come I can't find your name in the record books when I Google it?" Sam said. "I went under an alias," I said. ...

My head is about to explode. Okay, I had time to read three papers this morning- I was teaching a class and needed to do something while they were watching movies. I just have a few questions: 1). How can you cheat on Sandra? Seriously, with a bunch of women, sometimes even when she was in the same building as you? Or while she was financing your existence, or winning an Academy Award? Or thanking you as the man who had her back? Disgusting. Not anyone's business, but I defy you not to read it. 2). A couple in Buffalo on the verge of celebrating their 68th wedding anniversary...sounds like a great story...cops found her dead and him suffering from a self-inflicted wound of some sort. Gives new meaning to the joke about the old couple having breakfast: "What do you want to do today?" she asks cheerfully. "Kill you," he replies. Horrible. 3). Congrats on passing Obamacare - here's a rock through your window - glass was breaking in all the Democratic offices th...