Keepin' It Real with Cam Marston

Cam and his wife finally got the traveling life they'd talked about for years. This week he files a report on what that dream actually looks like — from an uncomfortable chair in the Atlanta airport.

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         I'm in hour four of the Delta SkyClub in the Atlanta airport. I have two more hours to go. I've eaten two dozen carrot sticks,...

It was a thoughtful meeting. Pensive. Cerebral. We were all leaning over the table with pens poised over paper fo...

For years, Cam Marston wondered how he'd handle the empty nest once his last kids left home. This week, with his youngest twins dropped off at college, he finally gets to find out.

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         For several years now I've thought about my last children leaving home and wondering how my wife and I would fare in our next life chap...

This weekend Cam Marston watched 130 girls squeal with joy on Auburn's quad. Here's why his mind went straight to the ones who didn't get the call.

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We sure love cruelty, don't we? As refined and as smart and as elevated as we claim to be, we love us some cruelty. We line up to dish it out and, strangely, we line up to potentially take it.

Saturday afternoon I watched the culmination o...

On this week's Keepin It Real, It's August in Alabama, which means two things: the air conditioner is running non-stop, and somewhere in a house near you, a married couple is fighting over the thermostat. Cam is losing that fight.

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It's the time of year in Alabama where when the temperature tops out at o...

On this week's Keepin It Real, Cam Marston insists there's nothing going on between him and his favorite AI — which is exactly what a man in love would say. Here's Cam…

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So, my wife has accused me of liking my new best friend and favorite AI Claude more ...

Cam Marston bought an electric bike last weekend, and this morning he rode it to his writing spot without pedaling once. He calls it the best commute of his life — and that's exactly what's got him worried. Here's Cam.

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         I got an electric bike last weekend. I had ridden my brother in laws a year ago when we were vacationing on the Carolina beaches and ...

Cam Marston has been digging into what makes retirement happy — and it turns out, part of the answer is that spouses need a break from each other. Here's Cam...

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My work continues to lead me deeper into retirement studies. My small team and I are creating a non-financial retirement assessment that anyone can take and get a gauge on how well positioned you are...

The World Cup has taken over America this summer — and it's brought more than just soccer. It's brought raccoons drinking gin.

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The World Cup sure has been wonderful to watch. I've loved all of it, though I'd be hard pressed to clearly explain offsides. The broadcasters show replays of goals that have been taken back and the commentators say "Oh yes, that's ...

Cam Marston has a confession today — eighteen months ago, he and his wife made a pact to declutter their house for good. Here's why it didn't survive contact with a U-Haul trailer.

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About eighteen months ago, my wife and I made a deal in a hotel room overlooking the Atlantic. We called it the Fort Lauderdale Acc...

This week's Keepin' It Real comes from a place of real pain. Cam Marston reflects on the loss of two young men from his community, and a grief he says words can't quite reach.

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        "There are no words" is an expression often used to truly describe deep grief. It's a feeling in your gut, your stomach, that you notice only when t...

Cam Marston spent Father's Day at church alone, then had dinner with his own dad — and somewhere in between, figured something out.

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Father's Day came and went last weekend. It coincided with my wife and my anniversary and the summer solstice – all on the same day. That must mean something. My wife chose t...

Cam Marston's new puppy has expensive taste — and this week, while the rest of his family's out of town, Cam's discovered his actual job has become full-time appraiser of whatever's currently in her mouth. 

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Our new puppy got the TV remote control this morning. I noticed it around lunch when I went to see if there were any World Cup games on. I tried the...

Most of us have been told that goals are the key to success — write them down, stay focused, never quit. But Cam isn't so sure that's the whole story.

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I've just completed a goal setting webinar. It was thought provoking and well run. Two things stood out. First – we are halfway through 2026. The webinar host adjusted the what was supposed to be a goal setting workshop with a one-year timeline ...

Cam Marston made a promise to his kids years ago, certain time would let him off the hook. He was wrong — and this week, he's paying for it, in the best possible way.

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Many years ago, my wife and I made a commitment to our kids that I thought would pr...