Memoir of a Real Life Archives - Page 4 of 19

Adventures In White Knuckle Driving

By Chris Carosa on February 22, 2022

This past weekend reminded me there’s a good reason why I stopped scheduling travel meetings during the winter.

It didn’t always used to be this way.

In the time before Covid, unusual was the week when I did not put on several hundred miles of business meetings. I find riding for an hour (or more) relaxing. I’ve got a huge library of college-level lectures on a variety of subjects. (As the price for an intensive virtually triple major in the hard sciences, my college major left little room for electives.)

The destination also (usually) excited me, too. Either a conference to learn more and meet Continue Reading “Adventures In White Knuckle Driving”

Posted in Memoir of a Real Life, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries Tagged Angola, Batavia, Betsy, Blasdell, blizzard, Blizzard of 1999, Buffalo, Cesidia, Chili, Christmas Eve, Dad, Dodge Charger, hamburg, Jamestown, Kenny, lake effect, learning to drive, Monroe County, Nor'easter, Rochester, Sabres, Seven Fishes, snow, Thruway, Uncle Larry

The Truth Behind The Mystery Of Weather Forecasting

By Chris Carosa on February 8, 2022

Ah, winter. Remember that? Well, if for some reason you had forgotten, last week certainly provided a useful reminder.

Of course, if you live in New England, you got your reminder a few days earlier with a classic Nor’easter.

Yes, that’s the way the National Weather Service (“NWS”) spells this famous type of storm. These weather events feature notorious low pressure systems that travel up the eastern seaboard. They’re so named because the winds along the coast come from the northeast.

Nor’easters are not limited to the winter. The NWS tells us these storms generally occur in Continue Reading “The Truth Behind The Mystery Of Weather Forecasting”

Posted in Gray Matter Musings, Memoir of a Real Life, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries Tagged American Model, Bill Gutsch, Blizzard of 'yy, Boy Scout, British Model, Canadian Model, Channel 13, Connecticut, European Model, Gettysburg, Good Morning America, Hayden Planetarium, Kevin Williams, lake effect, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, McClennan, National Weather Service, New England, Nor'easter, Pickett's Charge, reverse-psychology, Seminary Ridge, snow, Strasenburgh Planetarium, The European Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasts, thunderstorm

How To Be A Successful Writer (In Five Easy Steps)

By Chris Carosa on February 1, 2022

To begin with, most people ask the wrong question.

This doesn’t happen too often locally, but because I also write for national publications, I often get this question: “What do I need to do to become a good writer?”

This question comes in many flavors. For example: “How can I become a better writer?” “What should I do to improve my writing?” “How did you learn to write so well?” That sort of thing.

These are all the wrong questions. Their common mistake: they all assume good writing is the key.

Here’s what most people (and most writers) don’t realize. There’s a difference between Continue Reading “How To Be A Successful Writer (In Five Easy Steps)”

Posted in Great Writing Tips, Memoir of a Real Life, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries

This Is More Important Than Being ‘Tolerant’

By Chris Carosa on January 25, 2022

No matter where you are, there it is. It’s called by a lot of different names, but it all means the same thing.

The trouble is, it doesn’t. And that can hurt people.

You may have heard this story before.

Decades ago, before I had the joy of children, I was assigned as the Town Board liaison to the school district. It was during the initial hype of political correctness. At the time, and not so different from today, you couldn’t go anywhere without seeing the maxim “Be Tolerant” plastered somewhere.

During one meeting, (a strategic planning discussion), we were asked to brainstorm on Continue Reading “This Is More Important Than Being ‘Tolerant’”

Posted in Gray Matter Musings, Memoir of a Real Life, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries Tagged Axis Powers, Captain Kirk, City on the Edge of Forever, commonality, Crusades, Edith Keeler, HFL School District, Hue de Tabarie, King Saladin of Egypt, Nazi, Ordene de chevalerie, Order of Knighthood, Prince Hugh II of Tiberias, Star Trek, Tolerance Paradox, Town Board, World War II

What’s Your Dream? (Here’s How To Capture It)

By Chris Carosa on January 18, 2022

The original vision that was my “sure winner” in the Florence Brasser art contest. It didn’t win. Then. But The Vision ultimately prevailed.

You have a dream. It may be new. It may have been lingering in the back of your mind for years. Either way, you have a dream.

And it’s compelling.

If you’re like most people, you’re wondering “How can I achieve this dream?” If you’re ambitious (and who isn’t?), you’re wondering, “How can I accomplish my LIFETIME Dream?”

Many years ago, I wrote a column about an ironic first-place award I received in an art contest (see, “Sometimes Second Best Turns Out To Be the Very Best,” Mendon-Honeoye Falls-Lima Sentinel, March 20, 2016).

I say “ironic” because the winning drawing was a throwaway picture not meant for the Continue Reading “What’s Your Dream? (Here’s How To Capture It)”

Posted in Gray Matter Musings, Memoir of a Real Life, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries Tagged Abruzzi, Dad, Florence Brasser, Fontecchio, grandfather, Kenny, L'Aquila, Lifetime Dream, three mountains

Josh Allen Had His In Tampa, Where Did You Have Yours?

By Chris Carosa on January 11, 2022

Something happened in the second half of the game in Tampa Bay on Sunday, December 12, 2021. After being outscored 24 to 3 in the first half, Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills battled back by besting the Buccaneers by the identical score of 24 to 3.

Although Tom Brady would bring the Bucs victory in overtime, the second half turnaround marked more than a turning point in a single game, it signaled the start of a mid-season adjustment that sparked the Bills on a winning streak that ended with them standing atop the AFC East for the second year in a row.

So, what exactly happened in that second half? And why is it important for you to know?

It’s called the “Thermopylae Moment.”

OK, nobody calls it that. I just made that up.

But it works.

To fully appreciate the term, you’ll need to go back in history a little bit. And by “a little bit” Continue Reading “Josh Allen Had His In Tampa, Where Did You Have Yours?”

Posted in Gray Matter Musings, Memoir of a Real Life, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries Tagged 300 Spartans, AFC East, Alamo, Athenian, Athens, Battle of Marathon, Bickering Bills, Buccaneers, Buffalo Bills, Darius, Greece, Greek, Hades, Hollywood, Josh Allen, Leonidas, Malian, Marathon Race, Persia, Persian, Pheidippides, softball, Sparta, Tampa Bay, Theban, Thebes, Thermopylae, Xerxes

A Memorable Week of Cottage Pranks

By Chris Carosa on October 26, 2021

Before there was The Purge (2013). Before there was The Hunger Games (2008). Before there was Rollerball (1975). Heck, even before there was the Star Trek episode “The Return of the Archons” (1967), upon which writer-director James DeManaco based his movie The Purge.

Before all these fictional dystopian fantasies, there was real-life Bladderball.

Bladderball was (notice the past tense) a massive (thousands of participants) game played at Yale from 1954 to 1982. It involved a large (6-foot diameter) leather “exercise” ball and Continue Reading “A Memorable Week of Cottage Pranks”

Posted in Memoir of a Real Life, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries

The Italian-American Triumvirate: #3 – Family

By Chris Carosa on October 19, 2021

We begin our third and final installment of the Italian-American Triumvirate to honor Christopher Columbus and all descendants of Italia during October as we celebrate Italian-American Month.

The third item on the list has been known by many names. In fact, those who remember football in the 1960s may also remember the three pillars being defined quite differently (and creatively). Italian-Americans played a prominent role in this.

On June 16, 1970, Brian Piccolo, starting running back for the Chicago Bears, died. Only seven months earlier, on November 16, 1969, Piccolo scored a touchdown on a one-yard run in the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Falcons. He then surprised his teammates by Continue Reading “The Italian-American Triumvirate: #3 – Family”

Posted in Memoir of a Real Life, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries Tagged ABC Movie of the Week, Bill Eaton, Billy Dee Williams, Brian Piccolo, Brian's Song, business, career, Chicago Bears, children, Christopher Carosa, Country, family, Gale Sayers, God, grandma, Green Bay Packers, Hawaii Five-0, I Am Third, Italian American, James Caan, M.D., Marcus Welby, Marlon Brando, Santino, Sonny, Superbowl, The Godfather, The Mod Squad, Vince Lombardi, Vito Corleone

The Italian-American Triumvirate: #2 – Country

By Chris Carosa on October 12, 2021

As mentioned last week, October is Italian-American Heritage Month. Not only do we take a day (either the original October 12 or the second Monday) to celebrate Christopher Columbus, the Italian that most influenced America, but, like other ethnic groups, we spend the entire month honoring those who immigrated to the United States centuries after the first Italian discovered a brand new world.

This is the second in a series of columns on “the Big Three,” the three institutions that, though they to some extent describe all Americans, speak especially to the cultural heritage of Italian-Americans.

Recall the meaning of “Italian-American.” It represents an acknowledgment that you are Continue Reading “The Italian-American Triumvirate: #2 – Country”

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The Italian-American Triumvirate: #1 – God

By Chris Carosa on October 5, 2021

Each October we celebrate Italian-American Heritage Month. The month is obviously chosen in honor of the Italian that most influenced America: Christopher Columbus. Of course, Columbus’ discovery of the New World predated the creation of the United States by about three centuries, but our country long ago adopted his journey as an inspiration for the nation.

Columbus has since been joined by many Italian immigrants who would become Italian-Americans.

That’s an important distinction: “Italian-American.” It recognizes that you are, in fact, an Continue Reading “The Italian-American Triumvirate: #1 – God”

Posted in Memoir of a Real Life, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries Tagged and Gold, Aristotle, Baptism, Catholic, Christian, Christopher Columbus, church, Confirmation, Crassius, diocese, Ethos, First Holy Communion, First Triumvirate, Fontecchio, Gaius Julius Caesar, Glory, God, Holy Ghost, Holy Spirit, Italian American, Italy, jesuit, John F. Kennedy, Ku Klux Klan, Logos, Marriage, Mass, Modes of Persuasion, New England, Pathos, Pompey, Protestant Ethic, rhetoric, Roman Republic, Rule of Three, Spain, SPanish, Three Kings, trium virorum, unification of Italy