In the famous Monty Python skit, the Ministry of Silly Walks elevates expressing and, in the process, embarrassing oneself in public to an art form encouraged by the British government, much as our NEA and NEH provide support and legitimacy for more traditional creativity.

A line overheard at the beach leads Thomas Fiffer to call for all men to speak out against aggression and violence.

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Note: I felt compelled to reprise this in light of the recent verbal assault against Representative Ocasio-Cortez and her remarkable response.

My father, Robert S. Fiffer, was a larger-than-life character, and though he lived only 48 years (of which I knew him for nine), he had an outsized influence on both the world and me. First of all, he was big. Not tall, but heavy set.

As a kid in the 70s, I loved watching the CBS Saturday night comedy lineup, considered to be one of the greatest combos of all time. It began with All in the Family, followed by M*A*S*H, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Bob Newhart Show, and finally The Carol Burnett Show.

If you are a widow and you loved your husband (as my mother loved my father), the photo on your nightstand is most likely of him. Not so with my mother, Elaine.

On a recent trip to my chiropractor (if you need one, he's excellent), I complained that my neck was especially stiff. I could barely twist it either way without experiencing pain around my shoulder blades.

The summer after my father died my mother did something bold and adventurous—she took me on an African safari.

I sat down in my office to write this morning with nothing to write about.

Like many children, I held the adorable (then) and naive (now) belief that I could change the world—if only I could run the show.

A long time ago, in a career far, far away, I worked at a now defunct book packaging company in Manhattan called Running Heads, its name an arcane reference to the text—generally book title and chapter title—that runs along the top of each page.

Wordplay. We think of it as light amusement—fun with language, a contest in who can be more clever.

As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. In this case, however, the picture serves to inspire the words (though perhaps not quite a thousand) rather than as a substitute for them.

This week I attended the first session of a poetry course in New Haven, taught for alumni by a former professor of mine now in his eighties—a Chaucer scholar with a wicked wit, elvish smile, and shock of (now) white hair set above his still fierce blue eyes.

I teach writing as a business. But unlike Michael Corleone in The Godfather, my business is strictly personal. And unlike Michael's father, Don Corleone—who did business with Hyman Roth but never trusted him—my business is based on mutual trust between teacher and student.

Summer camp can be scary.

You won't find much hip-hop slang in my vocabulary (though I did take a class in college called "Structure of the New York Mambo." More on that later.) But the title of today's post—which you will shortly see has a second meaning—is right "up" my wordplay alley, a delightful little stretch of road (

Recently a friend asked me why I stopped writing the blog. Before coming to dinner he'd read some of my posts (on top of others he'd read many months ago), and he let me know that my words were helpful. His question was as much a challenge as an inquiry, and I didn't have a single good answer.

This week I created a new website to bring together my writing, speaking, and storytelling and the array of professional services I offer clients.

Please come visit me at http://thomasgfiffer.com.

I will still be sharing blog posts here, too, so if you're here just for the writing, stick around.

All couples disagree, most argue, and some slug it out with words day after day. Let's take a look at the real source of discord, how it escalates to conflict, and how to stop it from derailing your relationship.

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“You never understand me, John. You never know what I want.

You can’t make a choice, so you put it off, endlessly considering the pros and cons. But you’ve already made your choice—one that will keep you stuck and in pain forever.

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Recently, I conducted a 30-minute relationship health assessment session with a coaching client.

Thomas Fiffer challenges the media to engage in a serious, two-sided conversation about the roles and responsibilities of men and women in breaking the cycle of violence and abuse.

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A recent OpEd in The New York Times began with the following paragraph:

THE pattern is striking.

Thomas Fiffer reveals seven truths about life after an abusive relationship that stay mostly in the shadows.

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Looking from the outside, you would think when someone finally escapes an abusive relationship, the worst is over. No more torture. No more hell.

The long-term relationships we choose have greater impact on our happiness and well-being than any other decisions we make. This simple, 10-second, yes or no test helps us determine whether to stay the course or head for the hills.

A five-word epiphany on finding happiness and fulfillment.

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You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em

Know when to fold ‘em

Know when to walk away

And know when to run

—Kenny Rogers, The Gambler

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I know. The headline reads like clickbait.

A good man, as the saying goes, is hard to find. Well, not really. There are millions of good men out there. Millions. Good men whose intentions are honorable. Good men whose behavior towards women is kind and respectful. Good men who appreciate love and value commitment.

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