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  • The unfiltered truth about YouTube Kids

    There was a time during my journey as a parent when I believed things couldn’t ever get worse than Caillou. Truth is, they can. Caillou, that whiny Charlie Brown animated knockoff, is merely an annoyance compared to what truly is the...

    • March 8, 2019
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    • Fatherhood at 40

  • Three astonishing explanations of the same mystery

    What became apparent as the weeks and months rolled by was how the search for my father’s birth mother may not result in tangible conclusions. Racing through old documents, photos, even interviews with family members whose memories were faded and...

    • March 4, 2019
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    • Leave a comment
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    • Fathers of the Past, Maintenance of Way

  • Why I’m a little scared to be a father again

    Welcome to my confession. Maybe I’m turning to you, readers, for guidance and some reassurance. I’m not afraid to admit it, even if I’m 40 and should know better. What I’m about to tell you sometimes keeps me up at...

    • March 1, 2019
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    • Leave a comment
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    • Fatherhood at 40, Having a Baby at 40

  • FAQs about the search for my father’s birth mother

    This blog, Causing Dad’mage, is generally about modern day fatherhood, the challenges we face, what we can do to meet those challenges, and to relate to one another about our shared journey as parents. However, much of this blog is also...

    • February 16, 2019
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    • Fathers of the Past, Maintenance of Way

  • A summer surprise in a Cincinnati cemetery

    No lights shined inside the glass-and-marble mausoleum, the contrast of shadow and light at times barely discernible due to the dark rain clouds outside. It was a Tuesday morning, and I was alone. The royal blue carpet softened my footsteps...

    • February 5, 2019
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    • 1 Comment
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    • Fathers of the Past, Maintenance of Way

  • We still need libraries for family history breakthroughs

    The last high school yearbook sat on the table before me, and I took a moment before opening it. I’d spent the last 90 minutes at the *_______________ Public Library, the only noise the occasional shuffle of feet from patrons...

    • January 28, 2019
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    • 2 Comments
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    • Fathers of the Past, Maintenance of Way

  • Why I’d love to meet Amy

    During 22-year-old Mary Catherine’s hour of crisis, one person could have shepherded her through the heartrending experience of losing a child before that child ever takes a breath. If Mary Catherine survived. It’s likely that Mary Catherine’s mother-in-law, Amy Pidgeon,...

    • January 26, 2019
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    • Fathers of the Past, Maintenance of Way

  • Why we love names and nicknames in genealogy

    The sound of a massive book landing on a polished table boomed like a wrecking ball against an old house. I sat and opened its maroon-colored hard cover, the spine cracking arthritically. I’ll bet decades had passed since someone last...

    • January 15, 2019
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    • 3 Comments
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    • Fathers of the Past, Maintenance of Way

  • What no one tells you about investigating family history

    Midnight. I sat at my desk with a single lamp on, my wife and our child sleeping deeply in the bedrooms above me. I was restless. More than a year had passed since my father told me his secret, how...

    • January 7, 2019
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    • 4 Comments
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    • Fathers of the Past, Maintenance of Way

  • Here come the gender disappointment questions

    We know it’s inevitable. People will ask the question, and they’ll do so with the best of intentions. “Are you disappointed it’s not a girl?” As previously announced, we’re expecting our third child in June 2019, and at 12 weeks, we...

    • January 2, 2019
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    • 3 Comments
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    • Fatherhood at 40, Having a Baby at 40

  • How I learned a family secret that changed our lives

    My parents hosted in their western Ohio home a wake for Mary Catherine, my father’s mother who passed away that week. My wife and I attended the funeral mass in Cincinnati that rainy March 2012 morning, during which our newborn...

    • January 1, 2019
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    • 30 Comments
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    • Fathers of the Past, Maintenance of Way

  • I’m turning 40, and we’re having Baby No. 3

    Sometime during the Spring, my wife, Alison, and I enjoyed a rare date night, a few kid-free hours when we go to a restaurant and choose menu items without hearing “Daddy, I don’t like it.” It’s bliss. But on this...

    • December 12, 2018
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    • 2 Comments
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    • Fatherhood at 40, Having a Baby at 40

  • Five Christmas records to include in every collection

    A light post for this Saturday as Christmas at The Nest is in full swing and the best Christmas albums are echoing from the living room. Actually, Christmas kicked off in our house before we even reached Thanksgiving. What can...

    • December 8, 2018
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    • Fatherhood at 40

  • Five things I wish for new Dads this Christmas

    The “Christmas Meltdown” has become an annual tradition in our family. Usually the meltdown occurs when something connected to the good ol’ Tannenbaum doesn’t go right. Past years, I’ve led my family to Christmas tree stands and picked Fraser Firs...

    • December 1, 2018
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    • Fatherhood at 40

  • One interesting fact about fathers from previous generations

    Some of them were nurturing. Others tragic. And then there were those just downright criminal. For many of us, our own childhood experiences with our own father figures have shaped a perspectives on being a Dad and leading tiny humans...

    • November 29, 2018
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    • Fathers of the Past

  • About Dave

    Dave Pidgeon is a professional writer and photographer from Lancaster, Pa., best known today as the author of Dad Diaries, a monthly column appearing in Susquehanna Style about being father to a pair of young boys. His writing strives to convey the lighthearted but...

    • April 20, 2017
The unfiltered truth about YouTube Kids

The unfiltered truth about YouTube Kids

  • March 8, 2019
  • /
  • Fatherhood at 40

There was a time during my journey as a parent when I believed things couldn’t ever get worse than Caillou. Truth is, they can. Caillou, that whiny Charlie Brown animated knockoff, is merely an annoyance compared to what truly is the...

  • Read More
  • Leave a comment
  • /
  • By Dave Pidgeon
  • /
Three astonishing explanations of the same mystery

Three astonishing explanations of the same mystery

  • March 4, 2019
  • /
  • Fathers of the Past, Maintenance of Way

What became apparent as the weeks and months rolled by was how the search for my father’s birth mother may not result in tangible conclusions. Racing through old documents, photos, even interviews with family members whose memories were faded and...

  • Read More
  • Leave a comment
  • /
  • By Dave Pidgeon
  • /

Why I’m a little scared to be a father again

  • March 1, 2019
  • /
  • Fatherhood at 40, Having a Baby at 40

Welcome to my confession. Maybe I’m turning to you, readers, for guidance and some reassurance. I’m not afraid to admit it, even if I’m 40 and should know better. What I’m about to tell you sometimes keeps me up at...

  • Read More
  • Leave a comment
  • /
  • By Dave Pidgeon
  • /
FAQs about the search for my father's birth mother

FAQs about the search for my father’s birth mother

  • February 16, 2019
  • /
  • Fathers of the Past, Maintenance of Way

This blog, Causing Dad’mage, is generally about modern day fatherhood, the challenges we face, what we can do to meet those challenges, and to relate to one another about our shared journey as parents. However, much of this blog is also...

  • Read More
  • Leave a comment
  • /
  • By Dave Pidgeon
  • /
A summer surprise in a Cincinnati cemetery

A summer surprise in a Cincinnati cemetery

  • February 5, 2019
  • /
  • Fathers of the Past, Maintenance of Way

No lights shined inside the glass-and-marble mausoleum, the contrast of shadow and light at times barely discernible due to the dark rain clouds outside. It was a Tuesday morning, and I was alone. The royal blue carpet softened my footsteps...

  • Read More
  • 1 Comment
  • /
  • By Dave Pidgeon
  • /
Two exciting reasons why you should attend HippoCamp 2019

Two exciting reasons why you should attend HippoCamp 2019

  • February 1, 2019
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  • Fatherhood at 40, Fathers of the Past, Maintenance of Way, Writing

It’s Friday morning, 5 o’clock. Been up for 90 minutes after our 7-year-old son opened the door to our bedroom, announced he had a sore throat, and like that, the flu is two-for-two this year when it comes to our...

  • Read More
  • Leave a comment
  • /
  • By Dave Pidgeon
  • /
We still need libraries for family history breakthrough

We still need libraries for family history breakthroughs

  • January 28, 2019
  • /
  • Fathers of the Past, Maintenance of Way

The last high school yearbook sat on the table before me, and I took a moment before opening it. I’d spent the last 90 minutes at the *_______________ Public Library, the only noise the occasional shuffle of feet from patrons...

  • Read More
  • 2 Comments
  • /
  • By Dave Pidgeon
  • /
Why I'd love to meet Amy | Family History

Why I’d love to meet Amy

  • January 26, 2019
  • /
  • Fathers of the Past, Maintenance of Way

During 22-year-old Mary Catherine’s hour of crisis, one person could have shepherded her through the heartrending experience of losing a child before that child ever takes a breath. If Mary Catherine survived. It’s likely that Mary Catherine’s mother-in-law, Amy Pidgeon,...

  • Read More
  • Leave a comment
  • /
  • By Dave Pidgeon
  • /

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About Me

about-me

Dave Pidgeon

Dave is professional writer and photographer from Lancaster, Pa. He's currently working on a book about the true story of a man abducted from his mother as an infant and the son who tried to reunite them almost 60 years later. He's the author of a fatherhood column appearing in Susquehanna Style Magazine.

Recent Posts

The unfiltered truth about YouTube Kids

The unfiltered truth about YouTube Kids

 March 8, 2019
Three astonishing explanations of the same mystery

Three astonishing explanations of the same mystery

 March 4, 2019

Why I’m a little scared to be a father again

 March 1, 2019
FAQs about the search for my father's birth mother

FAQs about the search for my father’s birth mother

 February 16, 2019

Instagram

  • I wonder sometimes if we shouldn’t tell ourselves that writing a book doesn’t have to be a lonely endeavor. What if writing a book, your own book, is about collaboration? Yes, this story is mine and the words are mine, but I’m working with a wonderful coach (@lisacooperellison) to keep me on track — accountable is another way to put it — and I always keep readers in mind. Knowing I may have a story you may love, find comfort in, inspiration, or see reflections of your own experience, that is in its own way a form of collaboration. No, I don’t feel like I’m toiling in a state of isolation. I feel like I’m running alongside every one of you. #writinglife #writerslife #writinglifestyle #igwriters #writingcommunity #writerscommunity #memoir #creativenonfiction #CNF #blogging #bloggers #bloglife #amwriting #FamilyHistory #Genealogy #MyFamilyHistory #Ancestry #UShistory #familyresearch #familytree #ancestors #AmericanHistory #pidgeonseyeview #maintenanceofway
  • That age when they run everywhere, when they run for no other reason than for the pure act of running. #running #ocnj #oceancitynj #parenting #parenthood #igparents #fatherhood #dad #instakids #igdads #child #children #parent #familyhistory #fatherhoodrocks #fatherhoodunplugged #parentsbelike #parenthood_moments #parenthood_unveiled #parentlife #pidgeonseyeview #iloveocnj
  • I didn’t know I was looking, but sometimes the best mysteries to solve are the ones you don’t expect. There were always legends. Dad said he started working in the same Cincinnati railyard his dad started in and his dad’s dad did too. But nobody knew if that was exactly true, and when I started working at a railroad, I was unaware of the truth. Then I traveled the network, started looking deeper into old family photos and long forgotten documents, and I found I was part of something greater than any of us knew. The legacy stretched six generations to the days of steam and iron and fire. #railroads #trains #steamlocomotive #legacy #writinglife #writerslife #writinglifestyle #igwriters #writingcommunity #writerscommunity #memoir #creativenonfiction #CNF #blogging #bloggers #bloglife #amwriting #FamilyHistory #Genealogy #MyFamilyHistory #Ancestry #UShistory #familyresearch #familytree #ancestors #AmericanHistory #strasburg @strasburgrailroad
  • I want them to know ... some day ... all that happened. If for no other reason, that’s why I write this story, why it matters. Discovering what I did about the past means I’m never ungrateful for what I have in the present — a family, love, and a story to tell. When I struggle to complete the manuscript, I think of him and his brother, and rekindle the fire. #writinglife #writerslife #writinglifestyle #igwriters #writingcommunity #writerscommunity #memoir #creativenonfiction #CNF #blogging #bloggers #bloglife #amwriting #FamilyHistory #Genealogy #MyFamilyHistory #Ancestry #UShistory #familyresearch #familytree #ancestors #AmericanHistory #parenting #parenthood #igparents #fatherhood #dad #instakids #igdads #pidgeonseyeview
  • Every story begins somewhere. I have more than enough beginnings from which to choose, but the most intriguing may be the letter and all the circumstances surrounding it but are unseen. #writinglife #writerslife #writinglifestyle #igwriters #writingcommunity #writerscommunity #memoir #creativenonfiction #CNF #blogging #bloggers #bloglife #amwriting #FamilyHistory #Genealogy #MyFamilyHistory #Ancestry #UShistory #familyresearch #familytree #ancestors #AmericanHistory #worldwar2 #ww2 #pidgeonseyeview
  • This writing life, this life of love and children, she makes it not only possible but wonderful. #mothersday #mothersday2019 #mother #momtobe #parenthood #parenting #ocnj #iloveocnj #oceancitynj #writinglife #writerslife #writinglifestyle #igwriters #writingcommunity #writerscommunity #memoir #creativenonfiction #CNF #blogging #bloggers #bloglife #amwriting #FamilyHistory #pidgeonseyeview #MyFamilyHistory #familytree
  • I am in a constant state of “trying to figure things out” when it comes to writing, my daily schedule, and how I want to live life. I used to think this was a curse, but now, thanks to some maturing and new perspectives, I see it as an asset. I tinker with my writing habits and also what I read or listen to during the daily commutes or when I go to sleep or how much coffee I drink, all in an effort each and every day to bring me closer to the goal of finishing the manuscript. #writinglife #writerslife #writinglifestyle #igwriters #writingcommunity #writerscommunity #memoir #creativenonfiction #CNF #blogging #bloggers #bloglife #amwriting #FamilyHistory #Genealogy #MyFamilyHistory #Ancestry #UShistory #familyresearch #familytree #ancestors #AmericanHistory #newyork #newyorkcity #nyc #grandcentralterminal #blackandwhite #pidgeonseyeview
  • Lately, the writing life has been about fitting in 20-minute and 30-minute writing sprints. A new job, a baby soon to arrive, one son playing baseball, the other playing T-ball, it’s all added up to a busy spring. And yet the story won’t let me be. I usually like to set aside one to two hours to write, but I don’t have that luxury, so I’ve tried to change my mindset and do what I can with what little time I have. #writinglife #writerslife #writinglifestyle #igwriters #writingcommunity #writerscommunity #memoir #creativenonfiction #CNF #blogging #bloggers #bloglife #amwriting #FamilyHistory #Genealogy #MyFamilyHistory #Ancestry #UShistory #familyresearch #familytree #ancestors #AmericanHistory #pidgeonseyeview
  • Something’s changed. Changed in a good way. I’ve been off social channels lately because I’m back working on the manuscript. I’m all in and concentrating. There are a few other projects related to Maintenance of Way I’m laboring over too. So sporadic posting just because I’m focused. #writinglife #writerslife #writinglifestyle #igwriters #writingcommunity #writerscommunity #memoir #creativenonfiction #CNF #blogging #bloggers #bloglife #amwriting #FamilyHistory #Genealogy #MyFamilyHistory #Ancestry #UShistory #familyresearch #familytree #ancestors #AmericanHistory #trains
  • Just three more months. No wonder why motivation and inspiration have suddenly gone into high gear. #pregnant #baby #pregnancy #mom #family #newborn #babyboy #dadtobe #babybump #mother #momlife #cute #babyshower #motherhood #maternity #instababy #instagood #babylove #momtobe #familyhistory #fatherhood #fatherhoodafter40 #writinglife #amwriting #writingcommunity #memoir
  • I’ve struggled. Writing a full manuscript has been more difficult than I ever imagined, maybe even the hardest thing I’ve ever tried. Didn’t think that would be the case. I’ve written in all forms of nonfiction and journalism, so maybe years ago when I started I went in overconfident. Here I am five years later. Something’s changed, though. After a six-month hiatus, I find myself churning 1,500-2,000 words out every night. Suddenly, I can see the whole instead of the seemingly fractured parts. Will this effort be different than all the previous attempts? Maybe. But I’m gonna take this train ride to wherever it leads. #writinglife #writerslife #writinglifestyle #igwriters #writingcommunity #writerscommunity #memoir #creativenonfiction #CNF #blogging #bloggers #bloglife #amwriting #FamilyHistory #Genealogy #MyFamilyHistory #Ancestry #UShistory #familyresearch #familytree #ancestors #AmericanHistory
  • Been diving into writing projects lately, leaving little time for social media posts. Sometimes you gotta just focus on important content, even if it’s not meant to be seen immediately. Why bother posting on social if you’re not taking care of the foundational work? #writinglife #writerslife #writinglifestyle #igwriters #writingcommunity #writerscommunity #memoir #creativenonfiction #CNF #blogging #bloggers #bloglife #amwriting #FamilyHistory #Genealogy #MyFamilyHistory #Ancestry #UShistory #familyresearch #familytree #ancestors #AmericanHistory

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Contact me

Contact me by calling 717-669-2026 or emailing me at dave@writingintheafternoon.com.

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