By Dom Cioffi It was an inexpensive, under-sized, tobacco sunburst acoustic guitar whose brand name is now long lost to memory. In essence, it was an incredibly forgettable conglomeration of wood and wire… but it was the catalyst for a lifelong obsession. The guitar was a hand-me-down from my mother who took a stab at…

By Dom Cioffi A few years ago, my son told me that one of the kids in our extended neighborhood was “internet famous.” When I asked what that meant, he told me that he had thousands of followers on his YouTube channel (which featured him building things and then blowing them up) and was making…

By Dom Cioffi This is an actual group text I received a few days ago from a college friend: “Yo whoz goin 2 the re-union” I scanned those words two or three times, cringing progressively worse upon each reading. Forget the fact that zero punctuation was used or that the grammar was bastardized nearly beyond…

A little over 30 years ago, I lost my father to a massive heart attack. He was 55 years old, in good shape, and active – definitely not someone you’d expect to die so young. However, he was a smoker and as the coroner report attested, he had considerable plaque build-up in his arteries, which…

By Dom Cioffi It’s Monday night as I’m writing this – the eve before one of the most contentious presidential elections in recent history. I voted two weeks ago by mail-in ballot and have spent most of the past 14 days avoiding media. I haven’t watched or read the news and I certainly haven’t engaged…

By Dom Cioffi Like most teenagers these days, my son has an affinity for the popular music that dominates the charts. Thankfully, while I am forced to listen to the occasionally track by Yung Gravy and Juice World, he also appreciates plenty of classic rock staples from bands like the Eagles, Aerosmith, and the Beatles.…

By Dom Cioffi My son started his first job about six weeks ago. He works at a local grocery store collecting carts from the parking lot, bagging groceries, and emptying trash barrels. He makes just under $10 an hour and couldn’t be happier. He generally works on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays so for the first…

By Dom Cioffi I was flipping through the tv channels this weekend when I caught an image of Kim Jong-un, the maniacal dictator of North Korea. I settled on the station for a moment and watched as an American filmmaker interviewed a family from Pyongyang, the country’s capital. The family being interviewed was obviously on…

By Dom Cioffi Several years ago, in February of 2015, a very plain and unassuming photo went viral around the internet. The photo was of a blue and black dress – or a gold and white dress, depending on who was looking at it. That was the curious thing. Two people could be standing side-by-side…

I often listen to podcasts when I run. I find that the conversations help me detach when things get difficult – like when I’m headed up a long hill or struggling through the last mile. I also know that running puts me in a state of mind where I’m able to be truly present as…

By Dom Cioffi I joined Facebook early on – within a couple years of its launch. College kids were the early adopters, but after a year or two, savvy adults were starting to connect as well. I was cautiously curious when I first heard about Facebook. I’ve never been an early adopter of any media…

by Dom Cioffi I’ve mentioned many times prior in this column that I’m a runner. I run every other day religiously, no matter what the weather or what state my physical health is in. I’ve done this for years and I’ll continue to do it as long as my body holds up. Some people can…

By Dom Cioffi When I was in school, I never took a note. Not one. I relied on class memory, my ability to absorb content just prior to a test, and my capacity to BS. My son is exactly like me in that he also has never taken a note. However, his class memory is…

By Dom Cioffi I had to take a lengthy drive recently — 14 hours to be exact. That’s a long time to sit in a car, no matter how comfortable the seats are. When my wife, son and I go on a road trip, I generally do all of the driving. I can do a…

  By Dom Cioffi Many memorable events occurred in the year 1986 – both good and bad – whose effects continue to resonate today. During the late morning of Jan. 28, 1986, I was heading to the school cafeteria to grab an early lunch. I was standing in line making conversation with some friends when…