If you ever want to experience the confidence shattering sensation of having every single thing you say and do examined under a critical microscope and launched back at you with a poo-poo shooter, then give law enforcement a try for a day.
How do you encourage your kids to lean on the truth?
FIT@50 / Week 89: Thanks, Thanksgiving Earlier this week I’d posted a question about fried or baked. I received plenty of comments […]
FIT@50 / week 76 Not There: I’m prompting Max to prep for bed. While it takes a little longer, he eventually gets there. I finally warned him with a stern wag of my finger to wrap up the tub time. I came back in his bathroom after sorting his school clothes and he had a head of hair slathered with Old Spice body wash. I grunted, “No. Not there.” He proudly continued to rub it over his head. It never registered with […]
FIT@50 / week 73 Kinda Weird: We came back to Louisiana for a few days while the kids were tucked away at […]
FIT@50 / week 67 Just Do It: I can tell you that the last place you would have found me on a Thursday night is the opera house. Yet, guess where I spent Thursday night? Yep, downtown Dallas at an opera house. Liliana Hart and I do lots of things for and because of each other. We’re a team, and it’s what we do. But when it comes to finding something that five very different kids agree on, she and […]
FIT@50 / week 65 It’s Because: Guys, this week has been so incredible. It was actually after 11:00pm before Liliana Hart reminded me it was Friday and that I’d forgotten to post my FIT@50. That’s just how amazing this week has been. This was our first family vacation since Disney last Christmas. We swam, BBQ’d, go-carts, arcades, stayed up watching movies, and ate bacon late at night (don’t ask). It was also our anniversary (I remembered) Memories from my childhood were so […]
FIT@50 / week 63 Retired Watch: I’ve worn this watch for many years. It’s probably not worked more often than it has. Yet, I wear it without fail. Why? It’s what I’ve tried explaining to Liliana Hart for years. This watch has been with me through the best and worst times in my life. While strapped around my wrist, it has hugged my sons, been complimented by a United States Attorney, swam miles in pools and open water, endured years of graduate school, survived […]
It’s also that humanity that has stirred my emotions all week. I still miss each of my 7 friends who died in the line of duty. Actually, I grieve for the 20,789 names of American law enforcement officers senselessly killed while doing only what we all swore to do – Serve and Protect.
FIT@50 / week 45 Red Soles & Big Smiles: Yes, my wife, Liliana Hart has an affinity for those snappy shoes with the iconic red soles, but it wasn’t a purchase that brought about smiles. It’s my role as a support team member that had me grinning like I’d just busted a drug dealer. Being FIT means being able and prepared to adjust to life’s challenges or demands. I’d served in a command capacity since 1992 when I supervised my […]
I walked across water
FIT@50 / week 20 Sweet surprise: Last Sunday was 7 weeks married. We’ve known each other for a while now, but we always talk about the kids. Blended families are not to be left to an assumption they’ll just work out. They take effort, patience and understanding. There’s a fine line to balance in these relationships. Sun Tzu said that the leader who is complimented for his pleasant personality in his first year of command, is mocked because of it every year […]
FIT@50 \ week 19 Sidelined Growing up playing every sport imaginable, the idea of being sidelined was inconceivable. As I’ve grown more “fit”, the idea of shining light on others while supporting from the bench is amazing. I considered what a difference a week makes. We were in NYC for a thriller writers’ conference dominated by a different crowd – okay, it’s still very much a boys club. Liliana Hart stood aside as authors introduced themselves to discuss crime and mystery […]
FIT@50 \ week 18 Broken: Don’t Do It “They broke me.” Those words were hard to hear. “I know. It’s what they do,” was all I could say. The somber, wooden expression in my friend’s face showed what two decades of service could do to even the most dedicated. Some professions require a certain adherence to its culture, although not part of the official policy. Mavericks, self-starters and long-haired freaky people need not apply. Unfortunately, the conflict between old school tradition and […]
Unplugged & Replugged: Last week was an amazing experience. I spent the weekend with my wife,Liliana Hart on a Trek Travels cycling trip through northern California. The grapes were the only things online out there. No cell or internet service, and the wifi was spotty to say the least. So what did I do with my cell phone? Used it as a camera to capture pics of the beauty of our country and the fun with new friends. I’d unplugged. And it […]
FIT@50 \ week 13 Sacrifice: Putting Others First WOW, what a week of being FIT@50. I got married—how cool is that. Liliana Hart and I had planned the wedding months in advance, but even before that, we had options to throw any size event, anywhere we wanted. The choice was simple – lets do this for our families. Putting others first was the right decision. Our kids come after God, so to make sure not only the young, but the not so […]
FIT@50 \ week 8 Teamwork: I’ve been a part of teams my entire life – from sports to SWAT. Victory by each definition was the ultimate goal, and I trained to achieve them like my life depended on it. In some cases it actually did. This past weekend, Liliana Hart and I joined our most favorite team to challenge ourselves and each other in an adventure run. Team Us enjoyed the planning, and kidding about how we’d perform. We even had fun […]