I am all smiles today and for one simple reason: this morning, Junito absolutely wanted nothing to do with the broom. Nope, he sprung out of bed, ran to the closet, picked out the soccer ball, and woke me via the traditional “ball hits head” approach. It’s much more effective than an alarm clock.
Perhaps as [...]
Desperate times call for desperate measures. Junito has lost interest in soccer. And can you blame him? With 24 hour cable tv, American football, basketball, hockey, and brooms all about these United States of America, it’s so easy to get distracted. That, my friends, is why I am taking Junito back to the motherland for [...]
So, yeah, Junito. My little Junito. My precious Junito. I had dreams for him, goals, all attainable with a bit of huevo and a lot of esperanza. But sometimes the universe conspires to dismantle our carefully crafted plans.
So we conquered the Soccer Ninja together. Junito scored his first goals. But Junito has betrayed me [...]
Well, the good news is the bad news is the good news. On the plus side, I no longer have to watch my back. The soccer ninja is dead. On the negative side, Junito cannot seek out his counsel in person. And on the more negative side, the soccer ninja extracted one final act [...]
Life, my friends, is a winding trail through mountains. The depths of the valley, the view from the peak, Junito’s professional career will go through a range of challenges and victories. He will need help, he will need guidance. I shall do the best I can, taking his hand along a trail blazed and familiar [...]
Fatherhood is the tension between guiding and, at the same time, following your own children. On the one hand, nobody wants to raise a recalcitrant Aladdin. Rules must have consequences. Certain behaviors must be learned. On the other hand, childhood is a gateway to a world of endless possibilities. You can teach your child how [...]
Christmas time has descended upon my chaotic household like mist upon a port city. Good cheer pervades every rincon despite the SAD-inducing perpetual overcast. We have casted away the false idols of Rudolph, Frosty, and the kinda creepy Keebler Elf. Instead, we have focused hardcore on the big man behind the Roman Catholic [...]
I have always been obsessed with rhythm. From my saxophone days to marching band, cadence and beats have dominated my life and influenced all aspect of my musings. Including, of course, my philosophy of the beautiful game.
Any player can dribble and run and beat a defender. But to do it with style, that is [...]
No, I am not one of those control-freak-over-involved parents. I’m not a spectator, but I also don’t call the shots. For example. I did not shell out hundreds of dollars to kiddie-proof my house for Junito. I did place the knives safely out of reach…but the corner edges on tables? They are everywhere. And they [...]
There comes a time in every man’s left where, no matter how atrociously he played a sport, he plays it even worse. He plays it so bad, and his knees ache so much, that the “I need the cardio” excuse no longer holds muster. But how can he stay involved in the sport in the [...]
