Building that housed the 13 Club, the Comet Stop, and Richard Shaw. I have invited a few former Braidwood residents to share a some thoughts about their experiences in growing up in my hometown. It has always been interesting to hear different perspectives from people with similar backgrounds. My acquaintance with Richard (Dickie) Shaw was … Continue reading Guest Post from Former Braidwood Resident: Richard Shaw
Blog Articles
The Neanderthal from Braidwood
“Hey Thomas! You have more Neanderthal DNA than 77% of other customers.”23andme.com With this greeting, I opened my 23andme.com portal to see what this means. I knew that the Neanderthals disappeared about 40,000 years ago but not before they made close friends with my modern homo sapiens who had migrated north from Africa. Neanderthal origins started somewhere … Continue reading The Neanderthal from Braidwood
My Right to Smoke in An Airplane
1959 at Midway Airport No, I have never smoked a cigarette. There was a brief time in my early twenties that I tried an occasional cigar or a scholarly pipe, but never a cancer stick. Because my mother asked me not to. My first trip in an airplane was in 1959, a flight that carried the … Continue reading My Right to Smoke in An Airplane
Illusions on Streets of My Hometown
My house on Walker Street. "Towns and neighborhoods have secrets and personal stories of people and places locked inside countless memories. People move from those places, but the places should never move from their memories." Tom Kennedy Twilight Time, to dream a while, In veils of deepening blue, As fantasy strides over colourful skies, Of forms … Continue reading Illusions on Streets of My Hometown
“How many children did you and grandma want?”
Grandson asks a question that would have been irrelevant before our marriage. Of course, marriage meant having children. How many? Never really thought about it in 1962. We never debated whether or not we wanted children. We knew that our future family would never be complete without children. As far as a number, I cannot … Continue reading “How many children did you and grandma want?”
Color Coding: Basis for the Caste System
“As visually dominant mammals, we readily notice differences in skin color in each other. As primates who uniquely use language to create categories, we readily give names to these differences. Since the mid-18th century, skin color has been the single most important physical trait used to define human groups, including variously named varieties, races, subspecies, … Continue reading Color Coding: Basis for the Caste System
“One boy = one brain; two boys = 1/2 brain…”
Braidwood East Side Gang: Marty, Louie, Richard, TK, Pete, and Kenny (circa 1953) "My father had a profound influence on me. He was a lunatic."Spike Milligan There is ample evidence that my role as a father was deficient in many ways. That is not to say that my failures were predominant during the past nearly … Continue reading “One boy = one brain; two boys = 1/2 brain…”
Partnerships: Learning from Billy and Robert
Regis/Ataneo Partners Regis/Ana G Mendez Partners “Old Wilmington residents taught me about working together to accomplish a goal.”Tom Kennedy Like many of us, brothers Billy and Robert (pseudonyms for actual people) knew all about the struggle to make a life. I remember them from my early days in Braidwood and Wilmington because we would see … Continue reading Partnerships: Learning from Billy and Robert
Granddaughter Asks a Most Difficult Question
“For months I have avoided a question that may be impossible for me to answer.” Grandpa Granddaughter asks, “At such a young age, how did you know grandma was the one or you?” Several of you grandkids have asked this question and I struggle to give a rational answer. Instead, I will answer in a way … Continue reading Granddaughter Asks a Most Difficult Question
“I want you…to drive the bus.”
“Just have your husband take it home and you can try it. I know that you can do it, and the kids will need transportation.”Fr. Roger Kaffer, Providence High School Principal For eight years, the lady drove a school bus from South Kankakee St. in Wilmington to Providence High School in New Lenox, Illinois, a … Continue reading “I want you…to drive the bus.”
Braidwood Beginnings 