By Dom Cioffi During one of my late-night forays into the depths of YouTube, I stumbled upon a video of a guy playing individual keys on a piano while his young son, who had his back turned, rattled off the identifying notes. Once they finished with individual keys, they moved onto chords, whereby the kid…

By Dom Cioffi I have an odd, longstanding fascination with reading obituaries. I have never consciously thought about doing this, it just happened unexpectedly. I believe my habit of reading the obituaries began with the death of my father, who passed away when I was 22 years old. Up until that time, the only death…

By Kevin Theissen Preparing for retirement just got a little boost. This week, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced new contribution limits for 2022. Staying put for 2022 are traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs), with the limit remaining at $6,000. The additional catch-up contribution for traditional IRAs also remains at $1,000 for people aged 50…

By Dom Cioffi My nightly routine usually consists of me lying in bed with my iPad watching YouTube videos until I get drowsy, after which I put on a podcast and fall asleep. Apparently digital interaction just before bed is frowned upon by experts, but I generally doze off within minutes and sleep like a…

By Dom Cioffi I knew the first time I saw an Apple iPhone that it was going to change my life. I was one of the people who tuned in to that now-famous Jan. 9, 2007, Apple event where Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone, claiming that it was a “revolutionary and magical product” that was…

By Dom Cioffi My son has been working at a grocery store for over a year, and while he usually hates going, it has proven to be one of the most influential experiences of his life. I had always told my son that, whether he liked it or not, he would be required to get…

By Dom Cioffi I’ve seen some big things in my lifetime. One of the first times I stood in awe of something immense was the day I entered the gates of Walt Disney World and first gazed upon Cinderella’s Castle. The park had only been open for a few years when I traveled there as…

By Dom Cioffi Years ago, between the ages of 10 and 15, I attended a summer camp on the shores of Lake Champlain in Vermont. It was billed as a religious retreat, and while that was meant to be the crux of the experience, I was actually there for the outdoor activities and camaraderie. The…

By Dom Cioffi When my son was born, I had many dreams and aspirations for him, but two things stood out: the first was the hope that he would play sports — more specifically, basketball; the second was the hope that he would play an instrument — more specifically, the guitar. I’ll admit, both aspirations…

By Dom Cioffi Years ago (before the science started to prove the concept wrong), it was believed that carefree, creative, and emotional individuals were born with a dominating right hemisphere of the brain. These people tended to excel in artistic endeavors and language skills and often became painters, writers and designers. Conversely, left-brained people were…

By Dom Cioffi A friend who knew I had reached a major milestone in my cancer battle showed up at my door recently with a present. It came wrapped in one of those tall, thin wine bottle gift bags with tissue paper flowing out the top. I thanked her for the kind thought and then…

Last Friday, I traveled to Jacksonville, Florida, for an important appointment. I had waited five years for this day and the magnitude of the moment was not lost on me. In 2016, I was diagnosed with cancer and was told that without immediate treatment, I would be dead in a year. That’s a sobering scenario…

By Dom Cioffi As soon as I graduated from college, I took a job and went to work in the corporate world. I wore a suit every day and called on customers in an attempt to earn their business. It was not my dream situation, but I was under the impression that it was time…

By Dom Cioffi I’ve been writing this column for over 25 years and in that time, I’ve reviewed well over a thousand movies. Prior to the pandemic, I visited the theater every week to review those films. I used to wish that I could watch new-release movies from the comforts of my own home, but…

By Dom Cioffi I run every other day almost without fail. Sometimes the weather or an unforeseen issue messes with my plans, but more often than not, I get my miles in. I run because I love the way that it makes me feel and because it’s good for me. I know my body, and…