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…

By Dom Cioffi In a couple weeks, I will drive to Jacksonville, Florida, where I’ll meet with my oncologist at the Mayo Clinic. I have been visiting this world-renowned hospital for the past five years, ever since being diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer in 2016. If this appointment goes well (fingers crossed), they will transfer…

By Dom Cioffi Exactly a year ago, my brother-in-law sent me an invite for a 50th birthday party for his wife. He sent the invite a year in advance because he was giving all invited guests an opportunity to fully prepare for the event. At the time, I thought that was overkill, but I placed…

By Dom Cioffi I wish I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard a musician say that watching the Beatles' performance on the “Ed Sullivan Show” on Feb. 9, 1964, is what inspired them to start playing an instrument. I have watched countless documentaries on famous bands and musicians and a ridiculous number admit…

By Dom Cioffi I had a meal recently that absolutely blew me away. My wife made plans to dine at a small restaurant with a good reputation and eclectic fare, and while many of our friends had visited this establishment multiple times, we had yet to stop by. I was famished when our reservation time…

By Dom Cioffi In last week’s column, I talked about the documentary “Some Kind of Heaven,” which examined the lives of several retirees living in The Villages community in Florida. I found the movie interesting not only because I knew little about The Villages and its specific catering to seniors, but also because (as the…

By Dom Cioffi Back in 1887, two young men named Robert Long and Victor Bell decided to form a business partnership. They initially set out to sell hay but quickly realized that the amount of wood needed for the transport wagons and storage barns made the venture untenable — especially since wood was in such high demand.…

By Dom Cioffi I did something this past week that I’ve been thinking about doing for years: I climbed inside a sensory deprivation tank for a one-hour meditation session. For the uninformed, a sensory deprivation tank (also known as a float tank or isolation tank) is an enclosed pod or tank-like device that restricts all…

By Dom Cioffi I told my wife not to buy me anything last Christmas because I knew exactly what I wanted as a gift. I then sent her a link to the precise product I was interested in with instructions on the size and color to order. On Christmas morning, I unwrapped a large box…

By Dom Cioffi  I have celebrated Father’s Day in the same fashion for 16 years: My wife gets me a card and a thoughtful gift and places it next to the coffee maker, so when I wake up on Sunday morning, it’s there for me to open. I have done the equivalent for her on…

By Dom Cioffi  I have a specific route I take when I drive to work in the mornings. I take this route because it is the fastest and most efficient way to get from my house to my office. I take the exact same route when I return home. I try to avoid driving this…