Bragging and Knowing Your Life Plan

‎1st. You're a baby. 2nd. You're a kid. 3rd. You're a teenager. 4th. You are a young adult. 5th. You are in college. 6th. You get married. 7th. You have kids. 8th. You are old grandma or grandpa. 9th. You DIE. 10th. Your life is over.

I have two points today.

1. I tend to talk about my youngest a lot on here. Is that ok? Is it bragging? Partially. I am so impressed with what she does and says sometimes, I just want it slightly validated that what I thought was cool is cool.
Sure, I'm biased, but some of what she does and says is just nuts. Look up there: she wrote that. Six years old and she has it all figured out. Step six in life? "You get meredid."

Mark Schaefer was talking today about how bloggers needed to express more pride. For him, it was finally getting quoted in the NY Times. He describes this "bragging" as a taboo, but I don't see it. I suppose it is semantics, but whether you wrap it up in a "let me share an experience so you can learn something" blog post or are just blatantly saying "look at what I did" you are still trying to show off, right? Anyhoo, if I do it too much call me out.

Second point, my daughter's life plans (for everyone apparently) at the age of six. Granted, it is simple but what got me was the end. She got it. Game over. You do all this stuff and then you are done. Wow.
What does this mean for how she progresses? I don't know about you, but I can't wait to see.

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• The language of the brag (carolinemarycrew.wordpress.com)

My Job

If you have known me any length of time, you've heard me speak about these people above.
I married into being a (step)father when Amanda (12) and Josh (9) were eight years younger. Then came the terror of their sister Erica (6).


This Father's Day (yesterday), I mentioned to someone on Twitter that being a parent was like being in the Peace Corps "the hardest job you'll ever love." Fellow parents, can I get an "amen?"


 Being a father is a different thing from being a mother. If you want the graduate level course on understanding it, watch Bill Cosby's "Himself." One thing in the relationship between most children and their parents is clear who is mostly in charge. Cosby said it: "I am not the boss of my house. I don't know how I lost it. I don't know where I lost it. I don't think I ever had it. But I've seen the boss's job... and I don't want it."


Thankfully, my wife and I work hard to balance being the boss together. We need to, we are outnumbered.

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• Origins of Father's Day (socyberty.com)

Improv for a Better Life: Quick Take of Bossypants

Just finished Tina Fey's "Bossypants," her first book. Yes, I'm a bit late to the party, but it is definitely worth the time!
If you like "30 Rock" at all, you will love the humor of this book.
But this is not to review the book, which could be summarized as this- great start, AWESOME chapter about her father ("That's Don Fey"), and slightly peters out.
It is part auto-biography and all funny.

One thing stood out for me,  a section called "The Rules of Improvisation That Will Change Your Life and Reduce Belly Fat." *Improve will not reduce belly fat.

• Her first rule: always agree and say yes. This goes to what your partner creates, you need to roll with it no matter how outlandish. As she says, "start with a yes and see where that takes you."
• Second rules is "Yes, and..." She means add something. You can agree, but you must be willing to play with and advance discussion.
• Rule three is make statements. The is the converse of being the person who always asks questions or refuses to find the solution to the problem. 
• Finally, "There are no mistakes, only opportunities." Improv can go all over the map, but if you are going to try and adhere to rules, you won't find where you are going.

Thanks Tina Fey for the life lessons from improv.

Related articles

• Taking notes on Ms. Bossypants (budtoboss.wordpress.com)
• 16 Down, 36 To Go - "Bossypants" (52 Books, 52 Weeks) (largeheartedboy.com)