As a military academy parent, you come to accept that your life will be a roller coaster ride pretty much from the time your child commits to making the effort to earn an appointment. To a degree, you learn to live with it and at the Naval Academy, part of your strength is drawn from … Continue reading With David Forney’s death, 2020 is becoming a waking nightmare

We are on record as struggling with this edition of the Dark Ages and when that envelops you, it is easy to spiral downward. As the family's resident optimist, I have continued to put on a smile for the girls at home and encourage them that everything will work out in the end, that better … Continue reading And then, the Dark Ages got even darker…

I wanted to write something about SWO Ship Selection, but just as there are times when I simply cannot stop myself from writing something, there are times when I cannot put words to paper (or virtual paper, in this case). Don't get me wrong. I loved Ship Selection. Several of my favorite Mids made their … Continue reading The Dark Ages, dark thoughts, and searching for century marks

So I looked at the calendar and realized it's been two years to the day that I launched this experiment know as My Kid The Mid. I've spent a lot of my life in the digital space, but this project was unlike most others - there was no plan, no objective, no expectations. A few … Continue reading Two years on a trip without compass or chart

Our Mid Sib's journey has reached the most critical of junctures. She has secured a congressional nomination to the United States Air Force Academy and the rest of her application appears complete - medically qualified, all paperwork completed, and so on. As we hold our collective breath and wait ... and wait and wait and … Continue reading Does her basketball game fit with a military academy?

I first met Mike Fitzpatrick while I was managing editor for the Bucks County Courier Times, his hometown newspaper in Levittown, Pa. As managing editor, I was a member of the editorial board, which meant that I participated in a lot of endorsement interviews, the lengthy process of talking with candidates to determine which one … Continue reading We lost a good man this week

When it comes to the Academy calendar, a lot of us literally or figuratively circle Christmas break as it's the time most families reunite in the midst of the academic year and the Mids are, more or less, free of responsibilities. There are exceptions and variations. One Mid will spend the time after Christmas and … Continue reading Plebes & Firsties turn an important corner on a new year