Matthew Dicks's Blog
October 4, 2025
Like father, like son
About 40 years ago, I learned to tie a necktie while watching Good Morning America. A man was showing viewers how to tie a Windsor knot. I was a Boy Scout at the time and was constantly tying knots, so I grabbed the one necktie I owned and followed along.
It felt like learning to tie a sheet bend, bowline, or clove hitch.
Just another knot to be learned.
And that was it. A random man on a morning show taught me how to tie a necktie, and I’ve known ever since.
I almost never wear a necktie these days, because they are stupid, purposeless adornments — meaningless vestiges of an ancient time that are both uncomfortable and silly.
And sometimes, they are used as a ridiculous symbol of wealth for people who lack self-esteem and compensate by draping themselves in blatantly expensive stuff so others can presumably think better of them.
I recently witnessed two men comparing expensive watches. They looked like two sad jellyfish, quivering and uncertain, trying to grow a spine via their gold and diamond-encrusted timepieces.
“Look at me! Look at me!” I could hear them silently shout to a disinterested universe. “I bought this expensive thing, so I can’t be all bad! Please think more highly of me than I think about myself! Pretty please?”
Are these people incapable of seeing how sad they look when showing off their glittery wares?
Anyway, last weekend, we attended a bat mitzvah in New Jersey. When Charlie entered our hotel room, he was dressed for the party, including a perfectly tied necktie.
I was shocked. “Who taught you how to tie a tie?” I asked.
“YouTube,” Charlie said. “It took a while.”
I was saddened for a moment, thinking I should’ve been the one to teach him this skill, but then I remembered:
I learned by watching Good Morning America.
Four decades later, my son did essentially the same thing.
My sadness was gone.
Like father, like son.
October 3, 2025
Special teams not being treated so special
I’ve attended hundreds of Patriots games over the years.
As a friend recently pointed out to me, I’m exceptionally lucky in this regard.
He’s right. I’ve also attended eight AFC championship games and watched Tom Brady’s entire career from inside Gillette Stadium/
It was a hell of a run.
At the beginning of each NFL game, the stadium announcer introduces the starters for the offense or defense on the team, rotating between the two each week.
Except, of course, during Super Bowl XXXVI, when the Patriots took the field as a team, absent any individual introductions, and were fined for this breach of protocol.
Super Bowl teams have been copying this move ever since.
But here’s my complaint:
I have been repeatedly told since I began watching football as a boy that there are three phases of football:
Offense, defense, and special teams.
Special teams, consisting of the kick teams, return teams, and coverage teams (who are often also offensive and defensive players).
Though they take the field less often than offense and defense, special teams can sometimes be the difference between winning and losing a game.
Yet, unlike the offense and defense, special teams are never introduced in the stadium by the announcer.
Punters, kickers, holders, and special teams specialists never get to hear their name called out as they run through that tunnel.
What the hell?
Admittedly, I don’t think it should happen often. Perhaps only once per season, and maybe at one of the less anticipated games against a lowly team like the Jets, but still, if there are three phases of football and three teams within the greater whole, don’t they deserve to be acknowledged by the stadium announcer and the fans at least once per season?
October 2, 2025
My Google Portrait has gone international
October 1, 2025
Resolution update: September 2025
Every month, I record my progress toward my yearly goals to hold myself accountable and occasionally seek help and advice from readers who are willing to offer insight, ideas, and solutions.
Here are my results from September.
PERSONAL FITNESS/ATHLETICS1. Don’t die.
I had dental surgery in September and survived.
I’m still going to live forever.
2. Lose 10 pounds.
Two more pounds gained in September, primarily because I couldn’t exercise for more than a week because of my dental surgery.
Weird but true.
I was also forced to eat pasta, ice cream, and other less-than-ideal foods for a week.
I’m plus six pounds for 2025.
3. Do a targeted push-up workout at least four times per week.
I skipped eight days post-surgery on the orders of my doctor. Otherwise done.
4. Complete 100 sit-ups four times per week.
I skipped eight days post-surgery on the orders of my doctor. Otherwise done.
5. Complete three one-minute planks four times a week.
I skipped eight days post-surgery on the orders of my doctor. Otherwise done.
6. Cycle for at least five days every week.
I completed 16 rides in September — a mix of indoor and outdoor. A low number for me, but surgery kept me off the bike for ten days and I’ve begun rucking, which has replaced the bike on some days.
A total of 184 rides so far this year.
Five rides per week means I should have at least 260 rides by the end of the year. If I continue to do five rides per week for the rest of the year, I’ll come up about 16 rides short, so I’ll need to increase the number of rides per week or begin doing more than one ride per day.
7. Try at least three new vegetables I have never eaten before or do not like.
I ate my first gooseberry back in July, which is not a vegetable.
Otherwise, no progress.
Any suggestions?
8. Get a DEXA Scan and VO2 Max test at least once in 2025.
Done!
9. Lower my handicap to 19.9.
I played 9 rounds of golf in September.
My handicap remains at 27.8.
I am, however, making legitimate progress on my swing.
WRITING CAREER
10. Complete my eighth novel.
Done another round of editing. Off to my editor again!
11. Write, edit, and revise my golf memoir.
No progress.
12. Write my “Advice for Kids” book.
Solid progress. Nearly complete.
13. Write/complete at least three new picture books, including one with a female, non-white protagonist.
I have an excellent children’s book idea that I will begin shortly.
14. Write about my childhood in partnership with my sister, Kelli, at least once per month.
No progress.
15. Write a new solo show.
Done!
16. Submit at least three Op-Ed pieces to The New York Times for consideration.
No progress.
17. Write at least four letters to my father.
No letters in September.
Two letters so far this year.
18. Write 150 letters.
Done!
A total of 7 letters were written in September to students, former students, colleagues, and friends.
A total of 163 letters have been written in 2025 so far.
19. Write to at least six authors about a book I love.
No progress.
STORYTELLING/SPEAKING CAREER20. Launch a new Homework for Life app.
Done! You can download Apple’s App Store now!
21. Record and publish at least 25 videos on my YouTube channel.
Done!
Four videos were posted in September. A total of 31 videos have been posted in 2025 so far.
Thanks to my production manager, my YouTube channel is really taking off.
We’ve also launched my TikTok channel. One of my stories has 1.6 million views. Others have hundreds of thousands of views.
22. Perform a new solo show.
Done! Two sold-out shows were performed in May.
New venues are now being sought.
23. Revise my free Storyworthy Academy.
Done.
Thanks primarily to the work of my partner and production manager, we have an outstanding free academy for anyone who wants to learn more about storytelling.
We’ve also just launched a brand new version of our website.
Check it out at storyworthy.com.
24. Record and produce at least three new Storyworthy courses.
Done! Two new courses have been completed and are now ready to launch with our new website.
25. Produce a total of six Speak Up storytelling events in 2025.
No shows were produced in September.
We have produced five shows in 2025 so far:
January 11 at the Connecticut Museum of History and CultureFebruary 7 at District in New HavenMay 10 at the Connecticut Museum of History and CultureJune 7 at the Mark Twain HouseJune 28 at Hartford Flavor CompanyWe have upcoming shows on October 11, November 3, and November 8.
26. Submit pitches to at least three upcoming TEDx events, hoping to be accepted by one.
Done! I’ll be performing a TEDx event in May of 2026.
27. Attend at least eight Moth events with the intention of telling a story.
Done!
I attended one Moth StorySLAM in September. My name remained stubborn in the bag.
A total of ten Moth events in 2025.
28. Win at least one Moth StorySLAM.
Done! I won my 62nd Moth StorySLAM in March.
29. Win a Moth GrandSLAM.
No Moth GrandSLAM opportunities yet.
30. Pitch “You’re a Monster, Matthew Dicks” or my new show to six theaters in 2025.
No progress.
31. Produce at least 24 episodes of our podcast Speak Up Storytelling.
No progress.
32. Perform stand-up at least six times.
No stand-up in September.
I’ve performed stand-up three times in 2025.
33. Pitch three stories to This American Life.
No progress.
34. Submit at least three pitches to Marc Maron’s WTF podcast.
Done.
To my surprise, Maron announced that his podcast is coming to an end in the fall, so my chances of making this dream come true are gone.
35. Send a newsletter to readers at least 50 times.
Done!
Between my two Substacks and my regular newsletters, a total of 32 newsletters were sent in September.
Check out my creativity and productivity Substack here
https://substack.com/@matthewdicks
Check out my Substack on an attempt to destroy my teaching career back in 2007 here:
https://anonymousattack.substack.com
I’ve sent 116 newsletters so far in 2025.
HOME36. Organize the basement.
More progress! Bins cleared. More furniture was eliminated.
36. Clear the garage of unwanted items.
Done! The garage is officially clean, and all unwanted items have been removed.
37. Replace our backyard shed.
Done! The shed has been installed.
38. Refinish the hardwood floors.
Done.
FAMILY/FRIENDS39. Travel to Europe.
We’ve decided to travel to Montreal and Quebec City instead of Europe this year.
I’m counting this as a completed task, given my goal was really to travel out of the country with my family.
40. Text or call my brother or sister once per month.
Done.
41. Bring my brother, sister, and me together at least twice in 2025.
No progress.
42. Take at least one photo of my children every day.
Done.
43. Take at least one photo with Elysha and me each week.
Done.
44. Plan a reunion of the Heavy Metal Playhouse.
No progress.
45. I will not comment positively or negatively on the physical appearance of anyone except my wife and children to reduce the focus on physical appearance in our culture overall.
Done.
46. Surprise Elysha at least 12 times.
No surprises in September, but surprises are in the works.
I’ve surprised Elysha seven times in 2025:
A surprise birthday party on January 4Post Valentine’s Day flowersClever and amusing office suppliesFlowers on the first day of testingDesserts for Elysha and her teammatesUkulele care packageMocktail subscription47. Play poker at least six times.
Done!
I played poker twice with Charlie in 2025 — both times using a video poker game on a plane.
I’ve also played dozens of sessions of online poker again on a legal, sweepstakes-based website.
I’m in the black.
48. Spend at least six days with my best friend of more than 30 years.
No time spent together in September.
I’ve taken two walks with Bengi in 2025.
MUSIC49. Memorize the lyrics to at least five favorite songs.
Currently working on memorizing “The Final Countdown.”
50. Practice the flute at least four times per week.
No progress.
MISCELLANEOUS PROJECTS51. Host at least three dinner parties where I cook.
No progress.
52. Develop a course on self-confidence.
Progress continues. Strategies are being collected, an instructional outline is being developed, and I’m conducting interviews to gather thoughts and ideas.
53. Develop a list of strategies to help people deal with loneliness and produce it in some form.
I’ve started writing a book on the subject, based on the list of strategies I’m developing.
This was a surprise to me and my literary agent. Instead of writing the full book, I’ll write a proposal for it.
54. Read at least 12 books.
Done!
I read one book in September:
“The Gunslinger” by Stephen King (re-read)
I’m currently reading:
“Sicker in the Head” by Judd Apatow
“Walden” by Henry David Thoreau
“This Beautiful Day” by Fred Rogers
“Food: A Love Story” by Jim Gaffigan
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo (re-read)
“The Drawing of the Three” by Stephen King (re-read)
I’ve read 17 books thus far in 2025:
“Unreasonable Hospitality” by Will Guidara
“Schtick to Business” by Pete McGraw
”The Humor Code” by Pete McGraw
“Catching the Big Fish” by David Lynch
“Simply Said” by Jay Sullivan
”Miracle and Wonder” by Bruce Headlam and Malcolm Gladwell
“Revenge of the Tipping Point” by Malcolm Gladwell
”Factfulness” by Hans Rosling
”Fight” by Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes
“Steal Like an Artist” by Austin Kleon
“The User’s Guide to Storytelling” by Doug O’Brien
“Keep Going” by Austin Kleon
“Show Your Work” by Austin Kleon
“Big Dumb Eyes” by Nate Bartgatze
“Never Flinch” by Stephen King
“Lyrics to Live By” by Mitch Taylor
“The Art of Winning” by Bill Belichick
“The Gunslinger” by Stephen King
55. Finish reading TIME’s 100 Best Children’s Books of All Time.
No progress in September.
I’ve read five additional books in 2025, bringing my total to 44 total books read off the list.
56. Edit our wedding footage into a movie of the day.
No progress.
57. Digitize a pile of DVDs that contain dance recitals, plays, and other assorted moments from the past.
Done!
58. Memorize three new poems.
Done!
I’ve memorized the following poems in 2025 thus far:
“This is Just to Say” by William Carlos Williams
“Fire and Ice” by Robert Frost
“Trees” by Joyce Kilmer
59. Post my progress regarding these resolutions on this blog and social media on the first day of every month.
Done.
September 30, 2025
The Shakers are booming
This may come as a surprise to many, but the fastest-growing religion in America is the Shakers.
Have you heard of them?
Know anything about them?
The Shakers have grown by a whopping 50% this year alone.
How?
Simple:
The Shakers have gone from two members to three.
The Shakers are a Christian sect founded in 1747. One of their central tenets is celibacy, which doesn’t do much for membership, both in terms of producing offspring and allowing for naked fun.
Until recently, there were just two remaining full members of the Christian sect:
An 87-year-old woman and a 68-year-old man.
But this week, a spry new convert — a 59-year-old woman who previously lived in an episcopal convent for four years — joined the sect, helping to ensure its legacy will continue.
It’s a good example of how numbers can be manipulated or distort an impression while still being mathematically correct.
Yes, the Shakers are the fastest-growing religious sect in the world.
Also, an ill-timed bus accident or a contaminated can of green beans could wipe out the entire religious sect in one swoop.
Let’s hope all three members of the sect don’t stand at too many bus stops together. If I were them, I would institute a “Sole Survivor” policy, wherein one member can’t be within 500 feet of the other two, thus ensuring that an accident can’t end more than 250 years of the celebration of, among other things, celibacy — the very thing that has brought their numbers to almost zero.
Speak Up: Stuck on Stuff
Speak Up Storytelling’s next show is Saturday, October 11, at 7:00 PM EST at the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History.
The title of the show is “Stuck on Stuff.”
Our cast features:
Matthew Dicks, internationally bestselling author, 61-time Moth storytelling winner, and record 9-time GrandSLAM championChristina Fedolfi, Speak Up veteran and 2025 West Hartford Teacher of the YearChris Bell, six-time Moth StorySLAM winner and Great Hartford Story Slam championBeverly Brakeman, Speak Up veteran, social justice activist, union leader turned lobbyist, and open-water swimmerHeather Daly, storyteller, Moth veteran, coach, and entrepreneur who’s never had a “real job,”Host, of course, by Elysha Dicks.
Come out to the museum to hear storytellers tell true stories about lived experiences, led by 61-time Moth StorySLAM champion and 9-time GrandSLAM champion Matthew Dicks. Our cast of storytellers will be telling hilarious and heart-wrenching stories about the struggles of life while battling bad habits, chemical addictions, and inner demons.
Doors open at 6:00 pm.
Come early to view our exhibitions, including Coffee: A Connecticut Story.
Performance starts at 7:00 pm.
Snacks, soft drinks, and wine included!
THE BEST DEAL IN TOWN!
Tickets can be purchased online or at the door.
$20 General Admission
$15 Members
Free for Connecticut Museum members at $150 level and above.
September 29, 2025
Shortcomings and Flaws 2025
More than a decade ago, a reader accused me of being materialistic after I wrote about my lack of a favorite number. The reader specifically criticized me for saying that when it comes to my salary, my favorite number is the largest number possible.
After properly refuting his charges of materialism, I acknowledged that I had plenty of other shortcomings and offered to list them to appease my angry reader. Then I did. Then I added to the list when friends suggested I had forgotten a few.
Nice friends. Huh?
So began an annual tradition of posting my list of shortcomings and flaws, which started in 2011 (the list had only ten items that year) and has continued for the past 15 years, including this year.
Every year, I review the list for possible additions and deletions, and I also allow my friends to suggest even more items to be added.
I tried to remove these three from the list this year, thinking I’d made significant progress in these areas, but Elysha said no. The three I attempted to remove were the following:
It is hard for me to empathize with adults with difficulties I do not understand or would’ve avoided entirely.I have difficulty putting myself in another person’s shoes. Rather than attempting to understand the person, I envision myself within their context and point out what I would’ve done instead.I am exceptionally hard on myself when I fail to reach a goal or meet a deadline that I consider reasonable.Elysha feels like I’ve made significant growth in all three areas, but not enough to remove any of them.
She also added a new one:
I engage in too much negative self-talk in front of our children.This surprised me since I am relentless in my positive self-talk, but she is correct:
When I think I’ve done something stupid, I call myself out, and this can happen in front of our kids, which isn’t always great.
So okay… something ew to work on.
I also wonder about the veracity of a couple of flaws from previous years:
For example:
“I do many things for the sake of spite.”
It’s true that I do this, but my desire for spite has driven me when someone tells me I can’t accomplish a goal, take on a challenge, or scale the next mountain. When I was told I couldn’t publish a book before the age of 40 or win 50 Moth StorySLAMS, I worked spitefully and relentlessly to prove those naysayers wrong.
Is spite so bad?
Or this one:
“I think less of people who are unwilling to sacrifice sleep or violate a comfort zone to experience something new or potentially memorable.”
Maybe I should think a little less of people who are trapped in the safe routines of their lives. Perhaps my disdain and occasional ridicule encouraged them to strive for improvement, take more risks, and explore the world more thoroughly.
I’m not sure, but for now, they remain on the list.
And so, I offer you, yet again:
Matthew Dicks’s List of Shortcomings and Flaws – 20251. I have a limited, albeit expanding palate (though I’d like to stress that my limited palate is not by choice).
2. It is hard for me to empathize with adults who suffer from difficulties I don’t understand or would’ve avoided entirely.
3. I have difficulty putting myself in another person’s shoes. Rather than attempting to understand the person, I envision myself within their context and point out what I would’ve done instead.
4. I do many things for the sake of spite.
5. I become angry and petulant when told what to wear.
6. Bees kill me dead.
7. I become sullen and inconsolable when the New England Patriots lose a football game they should’ve won.
8. I lack adequate empathy for adults who are not resourceful or are easily overwhelmed.
9. I cannot make the simplest of household or automobile repairs.
10. I eat ice cream too quickly.
11. I am uncomfortable and ineffective at haggling for a better price.
12. I am exceptionally hard on myself when I fail to reach a goal or meet a deadline that strikes me as reasonable.
13. I drink too much Diet Coke.
14. My dislike for ineffective, inefficient, or poorly planned meetings makes me unproductive, inattentive, and obstructionist.
15. Disorganization and clutter negatively impact my mood, particularly when I cannot control the clutter myself.
16. I am overly critical of my fellow storytellers, applying my own rules and standards to their performances.
17. I lack patience when it comes to assisting people with technology.
18. I don’t spend enough time with my best friend.
19. I have a difficult time respecting or celebrating someone’s accomplishments if economic privilege, nepotism, or legacy assisted in their success in any way.
20. I believe there are some right and wrong ways of parenting.
21. I love saying, “I told you so” so freaking much.
22. I am far too confrontational in moments when it would be safer and wiser to avoid the confrontation entirely.
23. Rule followers annoy me.
24. I think less of people who are unwilling to sacrifice sleep or violate a comfort zone to experience something new or potentially memorable.
25. I wrongfully assume that a person’s job performance can be assessed by their ability to speak publicly while performing that job.
26. I can’t hit a drive more than 200 yards, and my average is a paltry 160 yards.
27. I’m exceptionally susceptible to my children’s guilt trips.
28. I am deeply uncomfortable quoting a fair market price for my services and expertise.
29. I engage in too much negative self-talk, particularly in front of our children.
September 28, 2025
Small stories are the best stories
Artist Rene Magritte once said his goal was to “breathe new life into the way we look at ordinary things around us.”
Photographer Sally Mann said it’s always been her philosophy to try to make art out of the everyday and the ordinary.
“It never occurred to me to leave home to make art.”
Author, storyteller, teacher, and improving golfer, Matthew Dicks says, “The best storytellers don’t wait for extraordinary moments. They find storyworthy moments in the small, everyday details of life.”
Add to this list people like Annie Dillard, Raymond Carver, Marcel Proust, Georgia O’Keeffe, David Hockney, Joni Mitchell, and Henry David Thoreau.
Many others, too.
We all agree.
Small things make for great stories.
Please don’t think you need to live an extraordinary life to tell great stories. Your life is already extraordinary, even if it sometimes or often feels small.
You’re just not looking hard enough. Not seeing what’s important. Not recognizing the singularly remarkable person that you are.
Look harder. Pay attention to your heart and mind. Listen carefully to what you think and feel.
That is where all great stories reside.
René Magritte, Sally Mann, Matthew Dicks, and many others concur on this subject.
September 27, 2025
Chased by dogs
When I was a kid, my brothers, sisters, and friends rode our bikes all over town.
Miles and miles and miles a day.
Parents never had any idea of our destination or location. We could be anywhere within a 20-mile radius for hours at a time, and our parents never questioned where we were or what we were doing.
That sounds crazy, but here’s the crazy thing:
We were constantly chased by dogs.
When I told my students this, they didn’t believe me. I had to text my sister to confirm, which she did, of course.
We were chased by dogs constantly.
No leash law existed in Blackstone, Massachusetts, in the 1980s, so as we rode by particular homes, dogs would run across their yard and into the street to chase us down.
All the damn time.
Some homes were known to have dogs, so we would gain a head of steam before passing so we could outrun the monsters, but others surprised us, requiring us to pump hard, weave, and sometimes kick at the dog on our heels lest we get taken down and bitten by these angry canines.
Was this just my hometown, or were all people of a certain age chased by dogs on their bikes as kids?
September 26, 2025
The disaster of Frankie Focus
“We are going to make sure that when we are in school, we are learning. We are no longer distracted. And I’ve got a friend here, one of my best friends who I want you to get to know, Frankie Focus,” Hochul said. “He doesn’t say a lot, he’s kind of quiet – that’s all right, that’s all right – but he’s very focused on learning in school, focused on the teachers, focused on making friends, and focused on doing a great job as a student.”
Elysha and I had precisely the same thought when we first heard about this:
“This was the idea of people who don’t actually work with children.”
If they’re lucky, Frankie Focus will be ineffective and quickly forgotten.
It’s more likely that Frankie Focus will quickly become a source of ridicule and maybe even hurt their chances of support for their new legislation.
I vote yes on New York’s ban on phones during school hours.
I vote no on stupid Frankie Focus.
