There’s Always a Girl Story: The Crystal Merchant

In the summer of 2020, I started an essay series entitled An Ode to Self-Care. A couple years removed from my 2000-words-a-day regiment, I felt an intuitive urge to get back into shape. I used the My Summer Rewind, a 50-song playlist curated by Spotify, created by tracks I played the most between June and […]

There’s Always a Girl Story: Chocolate Croissant, pt. 1

“What did Cydney call you for?” Courtney asked. I had been in a studio session in Queens with my sister and longtime friend, Kristen all day. It was almost midnight and my daughter had not heard from her dad in almost 12 hours. “She called me to ask “Daddy where is my black and white […]

There’s Always a Girl Story: The French Girls, Pt. 1

“Wouldn’t it be interesting for the story to begin, just meeting and talking in a coffee shop?” Noiéme inquired. It was a little after 1pm and the shop closed at 12:30 for the day. It seemed as if the two of us lingered and let time stand still for a moment before we went our […]

10 Years of Single dadventures: a letter to myself

Chad Travis Milner, Ten years in business ain’t no chump shit…don’t ever forget it. In the summer of 2012, you were 26, and began to see some light after the darkest 16 months of your life. You became a father February 14, 2011, your partner diagnosed with terminal cancer days later, you moved thrice in […]

Unpacking Peace of Mind: November 1, 2011

October 31, 2021 To read the original post from 2012, click here. Ten years ago, I left my friend Chase’s apartment in Mt. Rainier, Maryland. As he left for work, I began the final leg of my drive from Buffalo to my new home, Newport News, Virginia. I could have made the 10-hour trek in […]

A Critical Mind

Around 1am on a humid 4th of July, I waited outside of my friends’ hotel in New Orleans’ French Quarter. I came to New Orleans for my college roommate’s wedding; and after the nuptials, shooting a music video at the reception, and a drink in hand for the past nine hours, it was time to […]

Basketball…In Memory of Mr. Payne

This was written April 28, 2020. With the recent passing of my former basketball coach, Mr. Payne, I felt compelled to share… I had a rough day. There was a lot on my mind, and it thwarted every attempt I made to work. The words did not flow from my fingertips to Microsoft Word at […]

The Death of Single Dadventures

For years I have been writing about a friendship with one person…I fell in love with my best friend. I celebrated the new year with my girlfriend in her hometown; it was quite an experience. I saw an America that only existed in my childhood memories in social studies books I used to read to […]

My Daughter’s Love of YouTube

My daughter would lose her mind if I got a job at YouTube… The statement above is nuanced with several connotations; multi-layered content. Cydney Milner is obsessed with YouTube. If I let her, she will sit and watch it for hours. She constantly asks for my phone so she can observe LOL Surprise Doll videos, […]

Making Christmas Memories, Magic, and Faith

There is lore to Christmas in New York. The real city of lights brightens up a few trillion megawatts, streets are even busier, and somehow, there’s a spirit buzzing around this place is infectious. Almost everything we’ve all seen in holiday movies such as Scrooged, Home Alone 2, Miracle on 34th Street, and many others […]