Until one traces his steps backwards, starting with his current state and then patiently walking toward the beginning of his life, only then can he comprehend the "plan-less plan" that evolved. As if it had been designed at the moment of conception and crawled directly to its destiny. Each step had rested on ADAPTING TO … Continue reading Jobs: Adapting to the Unpredictable →

L-R: Judy Stahl, Emagene Hall, Nancy Todd, Pamela Magill, Karen Anderson, Barbara Parrish, Marthanie Carmon Karen and I were both raised in Braidwood but didn’t know each other. Although she is 8 years younger than me, we walked and rode our bikes down the same streets, shopped in the same stores, and knew most of … Continue reading Two Kids from Braidwood: Two Worlds Apart  →

“Isn’t it the responsibility of succeeding generations to capture the best from the preceding generation, build on it, reject the negatives, and establish its own legacy of progress? Many positive elements of the past can serve as a foundation for the future, but we know that the previous era also needs to be critiqued and … Continue reading The “20-Somethings” Will Do It →

“Eenie, meanie, miney, mo…" I was 6-years old, a first grader at the Braidwood East Side School, when I learned that this little ditty contained an offensive word, a word that should not be repeated.  One of my classmates corrected me while we were waiting for school to start that day. The word: “nigger.” Obviously, my … Continue reading Why Racial Justice is Important to Me →

Marty, Louie, Richard ("Killer"), Tom, Pete, and Kenny “Saturday morning was come, and all the summer world was bright and fresh, and brimming with life. There was a song in every heart; and if the heart was young, the music issued at the lips. There was cheer in every face and a spring in every … Continue reading The Mountains of Braidwood →

The Scene It is the 21st century in Washington D.C. in a full session of Congress. The legendary coach Gordie Gillespie has been asked to address the 535 lawmakers prior to the new session. The intent is his talk would be to inspire and motivate the leaders of the country. As in the past, this body … Continue reading If Gordie Gillespie Spoke to Congress →

"There are times when my journal writing includes thoughts and ideas that were instigated by midnight insomnia and other quiet times when random unanswerable questions take over. While in Joliet for a few days, I wrote some responses (not answers) to those questions."  Ownership is a Fallacy To think that I own a piece of property, … Continue reading Random Thoughts in Joliet →

“Have you no sense of decency, sir?” (Joseph N. Welch, Chief Counsel for U.S. Army, to Senator Joseph McCarthy on June 9, 1954 Speech that society might label as course, rude, and gross – bordering on outright bigotry, hate, and fear-mongering – has, over the past several years, become the norm for segments of our nation’s … Continue reading Regaining Decency in America? →