I started playing competitive basketball when I was in the fifth grade. That was the first year where the elementary schools in my town (of which there were many) formed a league for intramural play. I competed for Dana School, which was located a few blocks up the road from where I lived.  I started…

By Dom Cioffi In 1977, Hall of Fame baseball player Reggie Jackson was traded to the New York Yankees, signing an unprecedented $3 million deal for five years. The trade was all the buzz in the MLB, but was particularly strong in the Northeast where fans live and die for their respective sports teams and…

By Dom Cioffi In 1977, Hall of Fame baseball player Reggie Jackson was traded to the New York Yankees, signing an unprecedented $3 million deal for five years. The trade was all the buzz in the MLB, but was particularly strong in the northeast where fans live and die for their respective sports teams and…

By Dom Cioffi I was finishing up a run the other day when my neighbor motioned me over to his house. I walked across the street and met him in his yard where he proceeded to pull out the name and number of a tree service that I had inquired about the day before.  I…

By Dom Cioffi My son and school have never been close friends. He enjoys his classmates and the socialization, but as far as the work is concerned, he struggles to stay interested. I struggled to stay interested as well. I hated math, was occasionally interested in something historical, didn’t see the relevance of social studies,…

By Dom Cioffi My son just purchased his first used vehicle. He was excited and proud and ready to conquer the world when the car finally arrived. However, before I allowed him to drive off into the sunset, I was compelled to have a talk with him about the realities of car ownership. This talk…

By Dom Cioffi Recently, I had a friend tell me that I absolutely had to watch the Paramount series, “Yellowstone.” He raved about the storylines, the acting, and the overarching grandeur of the show. I acknowledged his passion and said I’d check it out. But I won’t. It’s not that I have anything against that…

By D0m Cioffi My wife and I have an agreement that when either one of us travels by air, we always let the other one know when we take-off and land. I guess it’s one of those meaningless marital things that develops over the years, but we’ve always done it. Recently, I was about to…

By Dom Cioffi My wife and I were having dinner with some friends recently when the couple started talking about a wedding they had just attended. It was a destination wedding near the ocean with about 25 close family and friends. Apparently, the bride and groom wanted something simple since it was a second marriage…

By Dom Cioffi I’ve developed a few talents in my life and one of them is gift giving. Nothing brings me more joy than to wake up Christmas morning and watch everyone around me open the gifts that I bought them. Sure, I like opening gifts as well, but I’d much rather give than receive.…

By Dom Cioffi Recently, my wife and I (along with another couple), went to a jazz club in the city. I haven’t been to many jazz shows in my life, but I do appreciate the genre so I was happy and curious to go. We bought tickets on the advice of another friend who assured…

By Dom Cioffi I look forward to this time of year, which is why I save up several vacation days to coincide with my company holidays. I use this extra time to partake in various Christmas activities and get numerous household chores accomplished. I also take a lot of naps in front of the fire.…

By Dom Cioffi I was having a conversation with a coworker recently when she disclosed that she was in the process of getting a divorce. Knowing that she has two young children, I immediately acknowledged how sorry I was for situation. Surprisingly, she shook her head adamantly and said it was for the best. Apparently,…

By Dom Cioffi I’m on a business trip this week about five hours from my home. The company I work for is having their products installed at a remote location and I needed to be available for help in a particular area. I made the trip on Sunday night so I could wake up and…

By Dom Cioffi Eighteen years ago this week, I wrote a letter to a young woman I barely knew. In that letter, I summarized the first months of an infant boy — the same boy she gave up for adoption earlier that spring. Every year since, I have written that young woman at Christmastime. I…