Matilda asks, “Grandpa, what is your all-time favorite place to travel to?” Dear Matilda: You ask an interesting question, the same question that I had when I was your age. What places do I hope to see someday? The many books that I read growing up sparked images of western pioneers in the plains, forests, … Continue reading Get Out of the Country! Broaden and Enrich Your Education!
Author: braidwoodguy
Born and raised in Braidwood, Illinois. Worked in secondary and higher education since 1962. Have 5 kids and 14 grandkids. Avocation is writing and genealogy.
A Parent’s Nightmare: Better Not to Remember
The haunting memory of being tragedy's accomplice lies dormant in a parent's psyche until sleep is again tortured by that scene. A child is lying 'neath the car tire. Dead? Maimed? "My God! You ran over him." Selective memory is a human trait that exists in all of us. We sometimes hear or see what … Continue reading A Parent’s Nightmare: Better Not to Remember
Gordie Gillespie: Portrait of a Leader
“With a winning combination of substance and style, Gordie was leadership personified. He was a man endowed with qualities that brought out the best in others, to rise above higher than they envisioned possible, and to achieve a common goal.” In light of the current atmosphere locally, nationally, and internationally, it might be worthwhile to … Continue reading Gordie Gillespie: Portrait of a Leader
Why Go to Joliet?
“You live in Colorado, but you make frequent trips to Joliet? What is it that calls you back to Illinois?” My friends in Illinois would occasionally query why a seemingly normal guy who left Wilmington in 1986 would bother to return so regularly. Colorado has the Rocky Mountains, the sun that shines nearly every day, … Continue reading Why Go to Joliet?
Grandkids: Get involved in Community Organizations!
Grandson Declan asks: “You have demonstrated the importance of becoming an active, valuable member of your community. What goes into becoming that?” Dear Decky: At the present time, you and your cousins are still in the early stages of your lives. Seven have recently graduated from college, four are presently in college, and three are … Continue reading Grandkids: Get involved in Community Organizations!
Brought Up By Baseball
"I really had no choice in the matter. My parents had made the decision to move from Roundhouse Street in Braidwood to Walker Street when I was three years old; from a normal small-town neighborhood to a house adjacent to the baseball field. It was only 90 feet from my bedroom to the field, the … Continue reading Brought Up By Baseball
“Don’t tell Mom! She doesn’t need to know.”
Grandchild asks: “What was something as a kid that you could spend hours doing and never get tired of it?” Dear Grandchild: Now, you first have to realize that we didn’t have all the distractions you kids now have. Life for a youngster was fairly simple with a lot of free time. I had no mobile phone … Continue reading “Don’t tell Mom! She doesn’t need to know.”
My Day in Stateville: Facing a Killer
"As I stepped into the batter’s box, I realized that I was facing pitcher 'Shotgun' Bilcher, a convicted killer. At age 19, I just wanted to get a hit and 'Shotgun' was just another ballplayer. Right." Every year Lewis College and my semi-pro team, Nielsen Gas Station, scheduled baseball games at the two Joliet penal … Continue reading My Day in Stateville: Facing a Killer
Advice From Grandpa? Maybe Not!
I had made the choice to share 80 stories that I thought that the grandkids needed to know about life as seen through the fading eyes of an old man. This is not the same as telling stories that they want to know. Question: “Teaching - directly or indirectly - is a big part of … Continue reading Advice From Grandpa? Maybe Not!
“Grandpa, what was school like for you when you were 7?”
"Was it a lot different then now?" Claire, age 7 I had made the choice to share 80 stories that I thought that the grandkids needed to know about life as seen through the fading eyes of an old man. This is not the same as telling stories that I think they want to know. … Continue reading “Grandpa, what was school like for you when you were 7?”
