Sam's Online Journal

December 23, 2012

Broad and Oregon

I was driving into Philadelphia on I-95, Bruce Springsteen’s “The Rising” playing on my car stereo, and I looked out my window to see the sports complex. Towering over everything was Lincoln Financial Field. Not far off was the Wachovia Center. Near it all was Citizens Bank Park. Three amazingly modern behemoths to house the … Continue reading Broad and Oregon

December 23, 2012February 28, 2013

Parenting 101

It was scary at first, thinking about becoming a parent. I mean, sometimes I still feel like I’m fourteen, a latchkey kid who sometimes falls off the broken stool in the kitchen and can’t talk to girls unless he’s had some egg nog first. So, yes, it was quite scary to process that some day, … Continue reading Parenting 101

December 22, 2012

My Semi-Sincere Apology for Liking Gangster Rap

I always feel like I need to apologize for liking gangster rap music. I don’t know why I have that feeling. Well, actually, I think I do know, and it’s a really sad reason. Too many people judge those who listen to three specific types of music: heavy metal, emo, and gangster rap. They think … Continue reading My Semi-Sincere Apology for Liking Gangster Rap

December 22, 2012December 22, 2012

The Watcher

A woman sits alone at a table. The table is in the Starbucks section of her local Barnes & Noble store. The woman is a 37-year old mother of two. Or at least I think she looks like one from my vantage point halfway across the cafe. She has that slightly overripe look that women … Continue reading The Watcher

December 22, 2012December 23, 2012

Throwing the Rock

I remember when I first discovered I liked sports. It was baseball season, 1987, and the Phillies had a pretty bad team at the time, with the notable exception of Mike Schmidt, a Philly legend to this day. However, I became obsessed with the pitchers on the team instead. I wanted to be just like … Continue reading Throwing the Rock

December 22, 2012

From the Vault: Freewrite #17 (from December, 2002)

Situations change while people stay the same, the dreams, the fears, and the cries for help that never come. They don’t cope, they either survive or do not survive, simple as that. I almost wrote that last sentence in French but decided better of it, not for you but just a spontaneous form of art … Continue reading From the Vault: Freewrite #17 (from December, 2002)