Since You Asked

When I look in the mirror before going to bed, I see a handsome man assailed by self-doubt. Did I mention handsome?

Recently an episode of ABC’s The Middle included a scene where painfully eager daughter Sue is invited to a party by her older brother Axl. Leading up to the actual party scene the writers and the actors managed to telegraph that once again, Sue would be a fish out of water and say or do something embarrassing while trying too hard to be liked. It was my cue to get up off the couch, walk into my den/studio/office and check my email. Since I became old enough to follow a story I have had an extremely low tolerance for tales where people, even fictional ones, suffer embarrassment and humiliation. Growing up my family was used to the fact that I would sometimes get up and walk out of the room during Gilligan’s Island rather than watch a scene that made me uncomfortable. Today I have zero compunction walking away from anything that sets off my ‘someone is going to be humiliated’ alarm. Indeed there are some shows that I altogether refuse to watch. Included in this category are any

I’m unabashedly patriotic. I tear up when watching Mr. Smith Goes to Washington . I am convinced (and my family is somewhat tired of hearing me say this) that the government of the United States is the finest example of human achievement in the history of the planet. My dad’s US Army dress uniform hangs in my closet, and I’m proud such a man was my father. So why do I call your attention to the deeds of an officer in the navy of one of America’s fiercest rivals? I assure you it’s an amazing story. I was five years old during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and honestly remember nothing about it. But I did grow up in the cold shadow of nuclear war. For some reason AM radio was an integral part of that in my world. I remember hearing Eve of Destruction in the parents' car driving through Oregon, wondering if I would live to be a teenager. When I heard Stephen Stills sing For What It’s Worth I thought the lyric Stop! Children what’s that sound-everybody look what’s going dow