While washing dishes with Phil (16) at a campsite on Camano Island…
Me: “In what way do you think you most resemble me, Phil?”
Phil: “Um, I don’t know. What do you think?”
Me: “Well… I’d say that we both –“
Phil: “Sam, be careful of the soap! Don’t knock it over like that!”
Me: “I think we both are interested in the nuances of language, although we show that in different –“
Sam (6): “Get out of my way!”
Me: “Just go around, Sam! Anyway, as someone who considers himself a good writer, I –“
Phil: “Come on, Sam, don’t kick dirt on the dishes!”
Me: “…I take some pride in finding the right words for the situation. You’re different in the sense that –“
Sam: “Dad, I want the second bath tonight. Ben can go first.”
Me: “OK, Sam…. Phil, you don’t relish writing as I do, but you seem really attuned to other people’s choice of words, so –“
Phil: “Sam! Didn’t I tell you not to knock over the soap!”
Me: “…so you’re able to sense people’s moods and respond appropriately. You do that extremely –“
Sam: “Where is Mousey?!? I lost Mousey again!!! Agh!!!!!”
Me: “…extremely well, especially for a teenage boy. Still, I can’t necessarily take credit for that because –”
Phil: “Sam! Mousey is not underneath the dishes!”
Me: “…because your mom is pretty attentive to word choice too. I guess all of us just want to –“
Sam: “I’m thirsty, Dad! I need more water!”
Me: “…to understand and be understood. Which — no, Sam! — can be really — NO, SAM! — really hard. Really, really hard, sometimes.”
My Track Record 
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