Years ago, in my former, pre-dystopian life, I had a blog where I mostly wrote about the sometimes humorous, always chaotic, generally rewarding experience of parenting two children who were, at the time, very young. I was, in the colloquial term of that fancy-free, pre-Trump day and age, a “Daddy Blogger.”
Over the course of 11-or-so years, I published 702 posts at my old blog. Most of them contained pictures of, and stories about, my young children, who now are approaching the ages of 17 and 15. About five years ago, I decided I no longer felt comfortable sharing with the Internet those pictures and stories, so I pulled them all down. A few years after that, Donald Trump was elected, and I subsequently realized I was posting nothing but anti-Trump political rants at a blog whose readership primarily consisted of people who originally tuned in to hear funny stories about my kids throwing up on either me or my wife or various surfaces in our home … so I shut it down and launched JONZAL.com, which is decidedly not a “Daddy Blog.”
That said, there are a handful of things I wrote at my old blog that I feel are worthy of republishing here. Thus, I’ve spent the past few weeks culling those 702 posts down to a handful of pieces I’ve decided should live on, to include:
- the time Gene Simmons of KISS blocked me on Twitter
- the time I made the mistake of using Google to self-diagnose a mysterious ailment
- the time my Little League experience came back to haunt me, sort of
- the time I assured my children in no uncertain terms that we were not getting a dog
- the time my wife and I went to a dinner party that seemed more like a crime scene
- the time I was taunted by an incontinent doll
- the time I hung out with Van Halen
- the time I tortured myself in a Darth Vader suit
- the time I got two of the most ill-fitting job offers ever extended in the history of professional employment
It is not lost upon me that those of you who read my current blog most likely became aware of me due to my political rants on Twitter and/or the political fare I usually publish here, and quite likely are not all that interested in the more frivolous minutiae about which I used to write. That said, I hope at least a few of you will find those old works entertaining. And, if not, stay tuned; I’m sure I’ll be ranting about politics again any moment now.
Actually Jon, I’m the opposite. I found a link to your old blog, enjoyed your writing and followed you here. FYI – should you write a book, humorous or political, I’d buy and read. And then in a couple of years, sell to Half Price books.
Thanks for the kind & encouraging words, Finn. Much appreciated.
I stumbled across your open letter of apology and I’d like to congratulate you. I could not have said it better myself. I am the same age with two boys that I raised to be proud of our diversity. Now they have children of their own and I worry for them everyday that Trump continues to destroy our reputation in the world. The way he arrogantly and without apology attacks the middle class, attacks our planet and thumbs his nose up at our laws disgusts me!