Steve Calechman, Freelance Journalist Profile

Articles

What's With All the 'W' Towns in Massachusetts?

2 weeks ago | bostonmagazine.com | Steve Calechman

Humor From Watertown to Wenham to Winchester to Whately and Worthington, we've got a healthy showing of the only three-syllable letter. Welcome to “The Salty Cod,” a monthly column in which humorist Steve Calechman grapples with uniquely New England dilemmas. Dear Salty Cod: What’s with all the W towns? You mean 46 out of 351—13 percent of the state—seems a bit much?
Why Doesn't Connecticut Really Feel Like Part of New England?

1 month ago | bostonmagazine.com | Steve Calechman

Welcome to “The Salty Cod,” a new monthly column in which humorist Steve Calechman grapples with uniquely New England dilemmas. Dear Salty Cod: Why doesn’t Connecticut ever really feel like part of New England? First off, it’s not like any of us are super tight to begin with. We’re a collection of states that tend to be crabby, independent, and suspect. None of us wants to belong together. From a geographic perspective, though, Connecticut got hosed.
I wanted better playlists so I outsourced to Apple algorithms. Super dumb plan. - The Boston Globe

1 month ago | bostonglobe.com | Steve Calechman

I’ve never been quick to adopt technology. Latest proof? I’m 57 years old and finally decided to give Apple Music a try. Before you judge, it’s not like I’ve been doing nothing. For the last few years, I’ve been using Amazon Music. OK, now you can judge. Amazon has the cred of Hotmail. I knew I needed a shake-up. My playlists are incredible. Seriously, Social Distortion into the Indigo Girls? That’s a person on fire. But I was becoming less and less surprised by my own choices.
Yes, You Can Wear Headphones at the Gym and Not Be a Jerk

2 months ago | bostonmagazine.com | Steve Calechman

So I gotta keep at it, maintain, be an inspiration for people. And as much as I love the gym, I’ve come to accept that certain annoying habits will never end. People who treat a bench as their desk. Guys who check their golf swing in the mirror. Guys who shave naked. (I don’t know what happens in the women’s locker room, but from what my wife says, it’s also kinda gross.)My biggest issue? People who listen to music on their headphones.
Can I Get Mad if a Neighbor Throws Snow on My Lawn?

2 months ago | bostonmagazine.com | Steve Calechman

You certainly could, because it’s just another relationship that we didn’t ask for, and your neighbor might be a jerk for any number of reasons. Not keeping their lawn neat and green. Playing music too loudly and having it be Bob Seger. Owning a hot tub and never extending an invite. Snow always ups our orneriness because it’s unlike all other yard work. Raking and pruning can wait. Snow has to be dealt with, like, right now. The problem is we don’t want to go outside.
A Grilled Cheese Mystery: My Search for a Simple Sandwich

Sep 13, 2024 | bostonmagazine.com | Steve Calechman

Humor Innovation can be great. Just keep it out of my kid's white bread. I can’t deny that I’ve got major skills, all of which have zero marketability. I can identify a Springsteen song two seconds in. I can always find parking in Charlestown, and I can always annoy the crap out of my wife and kids trying to find parking in Charlestown. But I know jack about running a restaurant.
Traveling in Maine with my kids, I was Vacation Dad. What could go wrong? - The Boston Globe

Aug 21, 2024 | bostonglobe.com | Steve Calechman

I didn’t grow up with Thanksgiving Scrabble battles or monthly pie nights, so I’m clueless about family traditions, but I think my wife and I might have stumbled onto one. For the last three years, we’ve taken our kids out of school in early June to go up to Maine and see how many doughnuts they can eat over three days. This year brought a wrinkle. COVID hit the house and Jenny wasn’t clear to go, so I decided to take them on my own. Milo’s 12 years old. Levi is 9.
My kid’s music picks on the radio sometimes make me cringe - The Boston Globe

Aug 15, 2024 | bostonglobe.com | Steve Calechman

I’m parked curbside, waiting to pick up Milo, my 12-year-old son, and I’m early, enjoying the alone time. A live version of “Jungleland” comes on the radio and I’m 16 again, feeling confident and badass, even though I’m sitting in a CR-V, trying to get Wordle in less than four so I can send my wife yet another gif that conveys, “How ya like that . . . boom.”Milo gets in and immediately changes the song. I could ask him not to, but I already end enough of the fun in his life.
How to Talk to Your Boss About Your Mental Health

Jun 3, 2024 | care.twill.health | Steve Calechman

One survey of more than 1,000 employees found that 54 percent reported feeling uncomfortable talking to their managers and supervisors about mental health, and just 21 percent actually went through with the discussion (with 5 percent saying they spoke with an HR representative). While it's understandable to be uneasy about the prospect of sharing your condition with your manager, making your mental health a priority, including maintaining ongoing care and treatment, is key to your well‑being.
Why I'm Ready to Break Up With Summer

Jun 2, 2024 | bostonmagazine.com | Steve Calechman |Simone Migliori

Humor School’s out, but fun is definitely not in. Why I’m so done with every kid’s favorite season of the year. I’m happy it’s about to be summer. Peaches are in season, and I can constantly wear shorts—a big win all around because, to be frank, I have admirable quads, which is still the best thing from having played catcher in Little League.