In late fall, it gets dark early. The cold gray settles in, seeping into your joints. The howling wind blows the depressing loneliness of November through every microscopic seam of the car. I finished my visit in late afternoon. Ignoring the growl of my stomach, I wanted to get on the road without delay. Driving … More Cold, Dark Drive Home
Stepping up to the plate. As kids, we cannot wait to take our turn. We salivate to be older, to experience what our sisters and brothers enjoy. We are not concerned about abandoning the confines of our childhood because there is adventure waiting. Eventually, we join the work world. Without much real world experience, we … More Big League Chew
I got this phrase from a John Wayne Western, but I am familiar with the concept. Very familiar. In my college days, I did a fair share of thinking that way. Many weekends, Mr. Johnson and I operated a think tank. I doubt many significant problems were solved, but some great ideas were hatched. And … More Thinkin’ Drinkin’
Tell the story of your younger years in a series of short paragraphs. Pick one memory or influence for each letter of the alphabet. I am mainly focusing on the pre-high school years, where youthfulness got me into trouble, but also fueled an imagination that I rely on today. It was also a time when … More The ABC’s of My Youth
Unless you are 20 years old, it doesn’t work. It can’t work. The banana can never be green again. Twenty is not a cultural touchstone. It is the epicenter of only that universe. Twenty is when kids are figuring it out. Youthful appearance and attitude are cultural currency for that generation, but not tender as … More Try to Be 20
Everyone has a favorite summer. Mine was 1975. The three months between high school and college were exciting ones; certainly for anyone getting ready for that next big step in their lives. In 1975, war was over, Nixon was gone, and the biggest threat to American freedom was disco. A few other world events: Spanish … More Summer of ’75
Every time I visit my hometown I begin to wax nostalgic. Even when my nostalgia doesn’t need waxing. I can stop my car on Lawrence Avenue and see ghosts of my prior life before me. Once upon a time, we kids thought we ruled the neighborhood. At ten years old we exaggerated our influence. We … More “Hey, get off my lawn!”
I have some great sports memories. They don’t define my life but they are intertwined with moments or events that I value. I watch sports, but as I get older, it occupies an increasingly smaller part of my life. Sports is too much a business; even amateur sports have that corporate vibe to it. I … More Sports Memories
If you are of a certain you remember going to five and dime stores. This was before Wal-Mart and the death of the small town downtown, five and dime variety stores were on every Main Street in America. Woolworth, Duckwalls, Newberry’s Kress, Ben Franklin and many other stores sold inexpensive housewares, kitchen supplies, candies and … More The Five and Dime
Age may often be referred to as a state of mind, but age does play a role in what we do, and maybe what we shouldn’t do, or at least what others think is age appropriate. I wear my hair a little longer than someone my age. I like that fact that I still have … More Age Appropriate
