Down the Road

Photographs and stories by Jim Grey

Tag: teenagers

  • Seven things I’ve told my sons about porn

    I grew up in the 1970s and 1980s, when you had to go out into public to get porn, usually to places where you wouldn’t want to be seen. But as I transitioned into adulthood, the Internet broke into the mainstream, and porn exploded. For going on a quarter century now, anyone with an Internet connection…

  • Fatherhood changes when teenagers are almost ready to launch

    I was so happy and proud for my sons on the days they started Kindergarten. I could feel them growing up as they boarded the school bus, their hands on the rail and their superhero backpacks hanging low. I’m sure my grin was plenty goofy as I watched them go. My older son was absolutely thrilled to get…

  • The years fly by at warp speed

    My youngest son turns 15 today. In case you’re new to the blog, I’m a divorced dad with three sons. My stepson is 28, and my sons still at home are 17 and, now, 15. It turns out that I really enjoy teenagers. For me, these are the best years to be a dad! It’s…

  • Just where do kids hear new music these days?

    My sons have only a vague notion of what music is popular today. It’s because their avenues to hear it are few. Once in a while they’ll stumble across a song on YouTube. They have iPods and iTunes accounts, but they use them only to download and play games. MTV doesn’t play videos anymore. Top 40 radio is long…