Keep on Tryin' 09/12/25

It’s not easy. Being a good husband or wife, being a good dad or mom, being a good grandparent. Things change. Pronouns change, expressions change, and while I consider myself open minded, I have trouble referring to women as “people with uteruses.” John and I discuss the grandpa stuff and the marriage stuff. We both happen to be proud grandpas each with two granddaughters, both from our daughters who are the same age and have the same name, Ali. (my grandchildren are 4 years old and 9 months old, John’s are 3 years and 6 months). This gives us a lot of common insights. My four-year old granddaughter plays games with me, goes swimming in the pool with me, watches Frozen with me, etc. And then along comes this interloper, the new kid on the block. I figure I have to give her some quality time as well, but when I’m playing with her and the older one comes along, well, I feel almost like a husband who got caught cheating. “It’s not what it looks like!!!” And then I remember I’m addressing a 4-year old. Put it this way: when I’m playing Hungry Hippos with my 4-year old (Hungry Hippos being a great suggestion from John), the little one looks on with great fascination. When I’m playing with the baby, my older granddaughter looks on with a “What the hell?” kind of look. At least that’s my interpretation.

Our next comic is our attempt at giving tips on how to make a marriage last. We’ve both been married over 40 years so either a) we must be doing something right or b) our wives have unbelievable patience. As for our advice, as the saying goes, take what you need and leave the rest. My theory is that the people who write those advice columns must be single themselves because their advice is based on theory as opposed to reality. For instance, the columnists tell you to find common interests, but my wife is no more interested in a crucial Mets game than I am in a new season of Downton Abbey. (“At this late point of the season, this game is as important as a playoff game!”) I exclaim. To which she replies, “According to you EVERY game is like a playoff game.” She’ll say to me, “I think the butler is having an affair with the Princess, to which I reply, “In these shows everybody is having an affair with somebody.” In theory, these are great suggestions, in reality, ehhhh. My wife and I find something we love to watch together and then, like boxers at the end of a round, retreat to our separate corners. It might not be for everybody but it works for us. At least it works better than being forced to watch an entire season of something you don’t like or, horrors, having to sit through a doubleheader.

That’s it for this week. Have a great weekend and we’ll be back in the coming weeks with some more invaluable marriage tips. We know you can’t wait to hear them,

Andy and John