Conor Grennan's Blog, page 5

introvert

I've mentioned before that I'm an introvert. That doesn’t mean I’m inside out, as my daughter asked. (I asked her, “Why, do I look inside out?” She shook her head.) For many years, Liz and I had a tension in our lives. That tension looked like this: We would go out to a big dinner party [...]

old dogs

Our dog's name is Emma - that's a problem right off the bat, as Emma is the single most popular girl's name in America. Which gave us this awkward moment: Emma gets past the invisible fence in our yard. So now I'm running around the neighborhood shouting her name. Within minutes, our new neighbors have [...]

decade

On March 1st, Liz and I celebrate 10 years of marriage. I had mentioned to Liz, back when we first met, that I would probably never get married. So I think it would be really cool if I could go back in time, because I would have added "Except to you. For, like, ever." And [...]

the ambassador

It will come as no surprise, to the religious or the non-religious, that we Christians can be terrible ambassadors for our faith. So when you meet a good one, it's almost startling. Duke Kwon is a good one. Back to Duke in a minute. I work in a business school, so I hear the term [...]

made in our image

I grew up playing soccer. My dad is Irish, so it was pretty much either that or rugby, which didn't sound like a real thing. So when Finn was old enough (he is almost 9 now, this was a few years ago), he played soccer, too. Listen, let's just admit that having kids is sort [...]

write it down

Writing stuff down changes everything. I mean, it can't help you dunk a basketball, but that's on you for being too short. (I can't dunk either - we should be friends!) If you want to take control of your life, or meet your goals, or be grateful for what you have - you need to [...]

still afraid

Liz is terrified of sharks. I am terrified of mice. Me, I see a mouse and I scream and I run. And still that mouse will spot me and chase me down and try to run up my pant leg. And that, my friends, is a fate worse than death.  Liz, on the other hand, [...]

the cheap one

I am the cheap one in my marriage. I think a lot of marriages have one of me.  I'm there in the grocery store, thoughtfully comparing off-brand cereals. I'm examining olive oil like an MSRP sticker on a Range Rover. "Good financial stewardship!" I murmur proudly with every item I place in my cart. I own [...]

don’t try the chicken feet

I was having dim sum with a couple of new friends in Chinatown in NYC. And literally the second thing that  arrives at the table is a big ol' bowl of chicken feet. "You don't have to try them," Kenny told me. "But I grew up on them in China, and I find them delicious." [...]

the things i have given up on

I used to be told, on occasion, that I look fairly young for my age. (I am now 43.) I pretended that I didn't care when people mentioned it. The truth, of course, is that I took tremendous pride in it. The danger in that pride (and there is nothing BUT danger in that particular [...]