Eric J. Perkins, Author at The Belmont Voice

Generations: Taking a Bracing Vacation

August 10, 2026

I write this month’s column not from Belmont, but from Germany. My wife is German, and part of the “deal” in our relationship is that we spend every “urlaub” (vacation) in Germany visiting with her family. That nearly always includes one week…

Opinion

Generations: Calm and Purpose Among the Benton Stacks

June 29, 2026

On a recent Saturday, I was finally able to resume my favorite volunteer activity: working at the E.C. Benton Library. People may wonder why I would spend three precious hours of my Saturday afternoon doing volunteer work, but I honestly can’t imagine…

Opinion

Generations: In Praise of Life’s Important Little Rituals

May 24, 2026

I write this column in the throes of “Maycember,” that hectic time of year when every minute of every day feels spoken for. If you’re a parent of school-age children, you’ve got concerts, plays, sporting events, award ceremonies, and graduations. Here in…

Opinion

Generations: The Benefits of Keeping Empty Squares

April 22, 2026

I have a precarious relationship with my calendar. I keep a digital calendar, of course, but our family also has an old-school paper calendar hanging on the wall (this year it features photos from the Webb telescope). We all write our meetings,…

Opinion

Generations: Keeping Calm, Carrying On in Face of Lockdown

April 3, 2026

My parents went to school in the 1950s, when they had to participate in the (in)famous “duck and cover” drills. The idea: Hiding under your desk made you safe from a nuclear attack, important at the height of the Cold War. As…

Opinion

Generations: The Nattering Nabobs Of Modern Technology

February 13, 2026

It was more than a decade ago when I asked a colleague about the story behind her funny-looking watch. “It’s a Fitbit. It keeps track of my steps and exercise.” I’m sure I made a face. Watches were for telling time, so…

Opinion

Generations: Resolving to Say ‘Yes’

January 2, 2026

I have the same New Year’s resolution every year. It’s not the classic, and likely most broken, resolution to “Go to the gym more.” It’s not “Save more money” or “Cut down on phone time,” though either of those would likely do…

Opinion

Generations: Memories Are More Than The Objects We Keep

October 26, 2025

A few weeks ago, I returned home from an afternoon at the outlets in Wrentham, having promised my wife that I would throw out a pair of shoes for each new pair I purchased. It was a reasonable request. We have finite…

Opinion

Embracing Change: The Firstborn College Dropoff

September 24, 2025

I confess I was not looking forward to taking my son to college. It’s not that I wasn’t excited for him, but he was anxious about the change and I was worried about saying goodbye to my firstborn. I knew we would…

Opinion

Generations: Please Give Me My Participation Medal Now

July 21, 2025

“I’m approaching 50 myself … and already know looking at some obstacles that I can’t envision myself completing without falling … but I’m going to try.” Those were the fateful words of fellow Belmont dad Matt Cassello back in February, and they…