By Dom Cioffi The last couple months of lockdown have certainly had an effect on society. For many, the loss of employment and underlying fear of sickness has been a constant source of stress and anxiety. I recently read a long-form magazine article, written by a distressed restaurant owner, that broke my heart. The author…

As the lockdown continues for most Americans, my son is growing increasingly irritated by his inability to socialize with friends. Most parents understand the need for social distancing, but the kids are having a much harder time since they live their lives believing they are bullet-proof from sickness. As I noted in past columns, I’ve…

The Movie Diary by Dom Cioffi The backyard of my property is framed in a thick cluster of trees that blocks almost any hint of other homes. I can hear voices and lawnmowers in a number of directions, but my visual range sees only greenery. Obviously, this is the case during the spring and summer…

By Dom Cioffi One of the things I’ve tried to do during the quarantine is to influence my son on a variety of topics. His school is doing a good job assigning projects and staying on top of his education, but I’ve opted to take this opportunity to steer him toward experiencing a few of…

By Dom Cioffi Nearly 10 years ago, in September of 2011, I wrote a review for the film “Contagion,” which is highlighted below. The film was an interesting composite of what might happen during a modern-day pandemic. I remember enjoying the film and also appreciating how realistic the plot seemed even though I believed the…

Having a Ball By Dom Cioffi At some point during my early teenage years, I decided that basketball was going to be my thing. I don’t remember there being an epiphany or single moment when this dawned on me. Rather, the sport slowly enveloped my attention until it was the most important part of my…

Tradeoffs when taking care of business by Dom Cioffi I told my son at the start of mass quarantine that this was not going to be a vacation, that we — individually and as a family — would be getting things accomplished throughout the duration of our home confinement, no matter how long it lasted.…

Woulda, shoulda, coulda by Dom Cioffi I was supposed to be heading to Saint Martin in the Caribbean tomorrow for a spring break week of sunshine, fun, and cocktails with tiny umbrellas. The trip was also doubling as a celebration of my son’s 16th birthday. Obviously, that’s not happening. Instead, I’ll be sitting at home…

By Dom Cioffi When I was a very young child, my mother took me to see the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus. It was an event that had a profound influence on me for many years. My mother used to vacation with her parents in Florida each February, and for several years I accompanied…

Brave New World? Part two By Dom Cioffi Well, I can’t say that I’ve ever experienced a week quite like this past one. In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, I’ve seen and experienced some interesting things. First of all, I am dumbfounded by the amount of people I’ve seen outside walking, running, and playing.…

Brave new world? Well, this has been interesting. Like everyone else, I’ve been trying to navigate the strange environment brought on by COVID-19, the acute respiratory disease that originated out of China in recent months. I don’t ever remember a time in my life when the social atmosphere was quite like this; when there was…

The drive to recovery A work associate came to my office recently for a meeting. While we were chatting, he mentioned that he had just purchased a new Tesla Model 3. Being the curious type, I inquired what he thought of the reigning champion of the electric car world. He obviously loved his vehicle since…

More than meets the eye I was on a business trip recently where I had to take an Uber to get from one place to another. I pulled up the app, punched in a few data points, and within seconds I could see where my driver was and how long it would take him to…

Stepping into the bigtime by Dom Cioffi Last week, I traveled to Dallas, Texas, for a business event. It was a quick trip that involved one very long day mingling with people. I arrived the afternoon prior and had dinner that night with several of my coworkers. Like many work dinners, it was full of…

Bringing the game home By Dom Cioffi Somewhere around the ninth grade, something clicked in my head with basketball, where it went from an activity to a passion. I had always played on my school teams and enjoyed watching the sport on TV, but it had never held any hallowed ground in my mind until…