"There is a stubbornness about me that never can bear to be frightened at the will of others. My courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me."― Jane Austen It wasn’t easy for my Dad when his wife went to work outside the home. You see, the husband was the breadwinner in his day and … Continue reading Adele Ginter Kennedy: My Braidwood Wonder Woman
Blog Articles
Blazing New Trails
“Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.” -Brian Tracy I’m not exactly sure why mom wanted me to go to Joliet Catholic High School after my six years at St. Rose in Wilmington. I spent only those last six … Continue reading Blazing New Trails
“If You Don’t Like kids, Get out!”
“Whether you’re coaching at Notre Dame or at Boys Club, it’s teaching young people. One is no more important than the other.” Gordie Gillespie Gordie said this many times, and not many coaches really get it. Because of his reputation, the Coach had many opportunities to “move up” in the coaching profession. Instead he chose to … Continue reading “If You Don’t Like kids, Get out!”
Sights, Smells, and Spells on Walker Street in Braidwood
“I remember my childhood names for grasses and secret flowers. I remember where a toad may live and what time the birds awaken in the summer -- and what trees and seasons smelled like -- how people looked and walked and smelled even. The memory of odors is very rich.”― John Steinbeck The gravel road in … Continue reading Sights, Smells, and Spells on Walker Street in Braidwood
Lessons I Learned from Coach Gordie Gillespie
“The best teacher is not the one who knows most but the one who is most capable of reducing knowledge to that simple compound of the obvious and wonderful.” ― H.L. Mencken (I encourage you to click on the video of Coach at the end of the blog.) I had the great fortune of playing for, and … Continue reading Lessons I Learned from Coach Gordie Gillespie
My “Field of Dreams”
“The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game; it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good, … Continue reading My “Field of Dreams”
“…people of my nationality”
Ed Anderson, an African American native of Braidwood, Illinois, referred to himself also as belonging to "my nationality." I have long disagreed with terms like "white race" or "yellow race" of "white race" since there is only one race. The human race is comprised of variously tinted skin shades between lighter and darker. The commonly … Continue reading “…people of my nationality”
Discovering Braidwood History: John Mitchell, Anton Cermak, and African Americans
"There is nothing new in the world except the history you do not know." Harry Truman Learning History from Braidwood Area Folks One of the benefits of being semi-retired is that I have time to talk with former Braidwood residents and to conduct some research on my native town’s history. Having the opportunity to communicate with … Continue reading Discovering Braidwood History: John Mitchell, Anton Cermak, and African Americans
Rookie Grandfather Does His Best
“One of the most powerful handclasps is that of a new grand baby around the finger of a grandfather.” Joy Hargrove The Torn Costume Until you become one, “grandfather-hood” is a mystery to most men. Women seem to have a natural transition to becoming a grandmother, but I had no real concept of being a grandparent … Continue reading Rookie Grandfather Does His Best
Lessons I Learned about Prejudice
“Prejudices, it is well known, are most difficult to eradicate from the heart whose soil has never been loosened or fertilized by education: they grow there, firm as weeds among stones.” Charlotte Brontë Lower Braidwood Grade School. (1930s) Coal Mines, Strike, and African Americans As I learned later, growing up in Braidwood was much different … Continue reading Lessons I Learned about Prejudice
Braidwood Beginnings 