Young people do give me hope
Talking with teenagers always makes me feel two things. First, it makes me feel old. And I mean really old. Old like a piece of my body might fall off at any time. Old like when I breathe out a puff of dust flies into the air.... more
Take it from a former elected official - vote!
It was September 1977. “Don’t Stop” by Fleetwood Mac topped the music charts, and “Star Wars” was all the rage in movie theaters. I was a 14-year-old high school freshman running for freshman class president. Why? Honestly, I wasn’t sure then and I am not sure now. My brother, a senior, was running for student body president and was popular. I was new to the school but was also pretty well liked by people – shocking, I know.... more
Trying hard to fool myself
I am holding on for dear life. This is something I have a hard time letting go of, and it seems to be getting worse every year. The calendar might be moving to fall and winter, but I am stuck in summer mode.... more
I am not exactly a fashion trend setter
I will be honest here. OK, I always try to be honest, but this one is bare bones honest – I wear shorts and a T-shirt at work pretty much every day. It’s true. As I sit here writing this column, I am in my trusty camo shorts, which probably have stains from that burrito I ate back in June on them somewhere. I also have on a random Harley-Davidson T-shirt today. If it is not a Harley shirt, it is a random rock band shirt.... more
Mount Morris meets Mount Rushmore
I was standing at a scenic stop on Iron Mountain Road in the Black Hills of South Dakota when a few motorcycle riders approached me and the friend I was traveling with. “Where in Illinois are you from?” he asked, saying he saw the license plates on our bikes.... more
Not every life event deserves a party
“It’s a man.” It is a story my mom loved to tell. She already had two boys, and I was going to be her last, and she was hoping for a girl. So she jokingly told the doctor not to tell her it was a boy.... more
Not crying was simply not an option
I told myself I wasn’t going to cry. Not only that, I wasn’t going to even tear up. Now, I am not one of those “men” who never cry. I actually think never showing emotion is trying to stifle your humanity. We all need a good cry every now and then – and not just at those gut wrenching abandoned animal commercials.... more
It is not a conspiracy - it's math
Well, I am 57 and have still never used algebra. In fact, I don’t use much aside from basic math – addition, subtraction, multiplication – in my daily life. And then not every day or even every week. OK, I do count calories, but that seems to be nothing but addition these days.... more
Society is moving away from formal dress at a quick pace
I had to get a suit. It’s not that I didn’t have a suit already. Actually, I had a couple of very nice suits I bought when I had a corporate newspaper job in the Chicago area. They were not cheap. Sadly, they also didn’t fit.... more
We're No. 1! Well, not exactly
One thing I have done a lot of during this pandemic – besides eat, obviously – is read. I am always reading at least one book. I also read a couple of online magazines faithfully. I also daily read news from the Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal and even check out Forbes.... more
'Live PD' shows the best, and the worst
I love the TV show “Cops.” It is an adrenaline rush of a show, and one that highlights some of the best police officers and some of the dumbest criminals on the planet.... more