Love is a muscle. It’s an action. And many of us are out of shape. For a lot of people, love is a destination. That’s why it’s so hard to find. When you think of it as an action, you don’t wait for love to “happen” to you. You don’t worry about “finding” it. You…
When I was a kid, I had a magic closet. New clothes (to me) would appear from time to time. I would open the closet door one day, and there’d be a shirt or a pair of pants that wasn’t there the day before. I never questioned it. I accepted that fact that new things…
Wow. Hard to believe that we got married thirty-five years ago. Pledging to spend our lives together in front of family and friends. How fast the time flies. I still remember the first time I saw you. It was at Swenson’s for a meet and greet of the cast and crew for Nails. I knew…
When my daughter asked me to give a speech for her wedding, I was thrilled! I had visions of creating a TED talk about love and marriage. It would be funny and insightful. Sheer brilliance. I mean, after thirty-five years of matrimony, I should know a thing or two on the subject. Right? Caileigh and…
It’s been a tough week. Some friends have passed away. And some famous people have passed on, too. It felt like every day for the last week someone I knew or someone I knew of died. For some odd reason Emily Dickinson’s poem “Hope is the thing with feathers” has popped into my head. If…
When I was a kid and people asked me what I wanted to be when I was grown up, I would say: Famous. It was my stock answer and it usually got a laugh. I didn’t specify what I would be famous for. I figured it would have something to do with acting or writing.…
Today, I celebrate my thirty-second wedding anniversary. It’s crazy to think that I’ve spent more than half my life with the lovely Deb Dagenais. Where did the time go? Thirty-two years… How does one stay married for so long? It’s simple — not easy, mind you — just simple. Follow these two rules… Rule #1:…
I was listening to the song “A Plea from a Cat Named Virtute” by the Weakerthans the other day. I love that song but it always gets me. It hits me in the emotional gut. The song is the imagined monologue of a cat to its depressed owner. I remember the first time I heard…
When I went away to university, I never thought about the impact my absence might have on my parents. I was going off on a new adventure. Life beckoned and I answered the call. I missed my family, but I never really thought about how they might have missed me. After school, I came back…
I met my wife when we were both in a play 32 years ago. I had heard of her before I met her. My friend Jimmy had spoken about this Deb Dagenais who was a good actress. It was easy to be attracted to her. She was vivacious and fun. Sometimes after rehearsal, I would…
peter gruner 