Tag Archives: parenting

Don’t Pass it On

Don’t Pass it On: Every one of us is challenged, by sheer virtue of being born, to do better than our parents. Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Inspiration and Motivation, Self-Improvement | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 28 Comments

My Early Brushes With Mortality

Photo source: Richard Ratay My Real Memoir My Early Brushes with Mortality. I’d spent just four months in my new home. Still, everything had changed. I’d gained two new best friends and emerged from my shy-shell. “Emerged?” Heck, I was … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Humor, Memoir | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 36 Comments

Even When My Father Wasn’t There…

Mommandad on their Wedding Day    –    The world’s oldest surviving McDonald’s My Real Memoir Even when my father wasn’t there, he was there. He was the gravity that kept us from flying off into oblivion. Which is to … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Humor, Memoir | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 33 Comments

Every Day is Mother’s Day

Photo by Mitch Teemley Happy Mother’s Day! And remember, every day is Mother’s Day. I took this photo of my wife Trudy and our recently-born first child when Trudy was exhausted. And yet all I see is her bottomless, heart-melting … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Memoir, Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 38 Comments

I Always Knew You Loved Me, Mom

I made the above Mother’s Day video a few years back. I’ve posted it here so you can share it with others, if you wish. To show it at a church or other public gathering, click here. Mom was twenty … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, For Pastors and Teachers, Humor, Memoir, Movies, Music and Videos | Tagged , , , , , , | 42 Comments

Life With a Capital L

My Real Memoir Life With a Capital L: My first introduction to Life beyond my neighborhood came from a tiny black-and-white TV. And by “Life,” I mean storytelling–which virtually defines who I am–some subtly-inserted human values, and humor; if storytelling … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Humor, Memoir | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 60 Comments

How Mom Taught Me to Express Myself

On the very first day of Kindergarten, I became a persecuted artist! From my Childhood Memoirs. Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Humor, Memoir | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 62 Comments

My Life as a “Wild Indian”

Left to Right: Downey, California – Grandpa Teemley – Downey’s Apollo 11 builders – Flying toddler My Real Memoir: My Life as a “Wild Indian” First Off… I apologize for the offensive stereotype in the title. It’s not a reference … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Humor, Memoir, Storytelling | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 40 Comments

My Experiment in Becoming Human

Thought for the Week I recently wrote about speaking less and saying more. In other words, focusing more on others and less on ourselves. This wasn’t sagely advice from a master practitioner, it was a personal reminder; I have a … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, For Pastors and Teachers, Humor, Memoir | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 90 Comments

Does God Ever Actually Answer?

God rarely tells me what he’s doing. But he’s always more than willing to show me what he wants me to do. Some years back I landed an invitation-only position in a CBS workshop for up-and-coming comedy writers. Was I … Continue reading →

Posted in For Pastors and Teachers, Humor, Memoir, Writing and Blogging | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 87 Comments