Antique Blogs

I know what you’re thinking…”Oh, the guy gets 1000 followers and then he thinks he doesn’t need to write any more posts.” Well don’t worry. And stop being so snarky. I’m still here. I’d like to say the reason I haven’t posted in a few days is because I was busy thwarting an international crime ring while driving around in hot cars with fast women.

In reality the activity that has been taking my time is…reading. I don’t do it much, but when I do, it takes quite a bit of effort. You see, I’m not really a good reader. I know that’s ironic considering I’m a writer. The thing is, I love to write, but I hate to read. Just like I love to talk but I hate to listen. And I love to punch people but I hate getting punched.

So if I’m going to read something it has to really catch my attention. You know, like billboards, “caution: wet paint” signs, and Facebook. But when I was growing up I remember we had these things called books. They were sort of like blogs, except they were written with proper grammar and the authors got paid for writing them. Sounds pretty great, right? Every now and then we like to take Chandler to the library, or as I like to call it, the book museum, and tell him about the good old days when you could enjoy the satisfaction of a good book burning as opposed to the modern day version of a book deleting.

Little did I know there are still writers out there getting paid to write books, or as I like to call them, antique blogs. Recently one book in particular caught my eye. And it doesn’t even have pictures!

“Your Name Here: A Guide to Life (The Book You’d Have Written if only You’d Had the Time” is written by Michael Rosenbaum, the Dadblogger at www.5minutesforparenting.com, and is a delightful bag of snack sized lessons for life. Each lesson is tastier than the last one and much like a box of Wheat Thins, you keep thinking you are going to put it down and yet you just keep munching away until the next thing you know you are full of really good advice.

I have to admit, this is definitely the kind of book I would have written if only I had the time. Rosenbaum has a great sense of humor and a very light hearted approach to a very serious topic: your life.

Rosenbaum is a smart guy. He’s smart enough to know that he doesn’t know it all. So his book is a compilation of insights gathered from everyday people he’s been meeting…well…everyday. What’s really nice about it is I can put it down momentarily to fend off an attack from my little C-Rex and then pick it up later, flip to anywhere in the book, and get something great out of it.

At the beginning of the book Rosenbaum encourages the readers to share their own stories of life lessons they’ve learned by going to www.yournamehereguide.com. If he ends up using your story in the next volume of his book he’ll give you $100! That could buy you like 100 things at the $1 Store!

I don’t have $100 to give you but I do have an extra copy of the book that the author gave me. Want it? All you have to do is share with me a story about being a parent that has taught you a life lesson and I’ll pick my favorite one. Post your story in the comments field below. And don’t forget to check out Rosenbaum’s site.