Humility the Hard Way

So much of the best advice is impossible to hear when you are first starting out. Success feels within our grasp, just a sprint or two away. We’re in too much of a hurry to listen. Failure slows you down. The pain of failure forces you to stop. Failure creates...

A Letter to My Son

Luca’s school asked me to write him a letter for mail day. I asked if I could send an email instead. They said ‘yes.’ Here’s what I wrote… Hello Son, Your old man here. First off, I love you. Remember that, especially those early, early...

Valediction, Memorial Day

Thanks to all the military veterans out there. You put your ass on the line, be it for freedom or some politician’s folly. You risked life, limb and long fits of boredom for we the safe and only occasionally grateful. It is because of your sacrifice that we can...

Home Alone on Thanksgiving? I Saved You a Seat.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! If you’re in San Francisco and alone on this special day, drop me a line. We’d love to have you! Twitter: @MattMireles Email: iwantbeer@swigme.com My girlfriend is making cranberry sauce, stuffing and sweet potatoes to go...

Becoming a Father

On March 7, 2012, I became a father. I think often of what this means. I look at my son in awe. I was once him. My father was once me. To be honest, I feel shame. When I was 15, I challenged my dad to a fist fight. He whacked me with the vacuum hose in return––man...

Mémoires of My Early Twenties

I ran across Chateaupia this week. It’s a documentary about Le Chateau, a place I lived as a UC Berkeley student in 2001-2002. It was shot during the time I lived there. I dropped out of Berkeley for the second and final time in May 2002. As the video suggestes,...