Sarah Edwards Jeffrey, 1883-1974 Her husband died in 1913 when she was 29. She was left with an infant daughter, a small house in Braidwood, and no means of financial support. The headstone provides the dates, born 1883, died 1974. Missing are the vast experiences, joys, and most of all, the struggles.  Mrs. Sarah Edwards … Continue reading Not Just a Widow on Walker Street →

“Do not hire a man who does your work for money, but him who does it for love of it.” Henry David Thoreau Dad worked for his brother-in-law Nick Van Duyne for a while. Dear Grandkids: Several of you are in the midst of making decisions about your work future. The process of seeking employment after graduations … Continue reading Work to Live, or Live to Work? →

“Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.” Sigmund Freud Does it not seem as though symbolic rock throwing in the form of diatribes, insults, and rudeness appear to be the dominant form of social media communication? Symbolic rock throwing may even cause more anger and hurt, while … Continue reading Lost Opportunities: Absence of Civil Discourse →

"Awake! 'Tis time for you to rise! Awake! And open both your eyes! The day is here, the sky is blue, And all the World is calling you!" Althea Randolph Paperboy Routine It is a cool Sunday morning in early June 1954, and I am once again preparing to peddle the Joliet-Herald News to my … Continue reading Zen and a Paperboy →

“Sport is a great equalizer that can build bridges, transcend borders and cultures, and render even the fiercest conflicts temporarily irrelevant.”  Richard Attias Pat Sullivan, Tony Delgado, and I have had many discussions about the merits of team sports and the impact they make on player development. Conditioning, work ethic, competition, mutual respect, and collaboration contribute … Continue reading Coach Delgado on Athletics and Racism →

My good friend, Tom Kennedy, the author of the insightful and informative BRAIDWOOD BEGINNINGS, asked me to put together some thoughts on athletics, teammates, and racism. Tom has written on this subject and wanted to get some other perspectives from Tony Delgado and me. I am honored to address this topic as best as I … Continue reading Athletics, Teammates, and Racism →

"It's not so much about seeking the other but to find yourself in the other."Jesuit Priest Fr. Gregory Boyle Five hot dogs: Pat, Tony, Tom, plus 2 Pat Sullivan, Tony Delgado, and I have had many discussions about the merits of team sports and the impact they make on player development. Conditioning, work ethic, competition, … Continue reading Can Sports Help De-Fang the Racism Beast? →

Tom Kennedy, Larry Bennett, Rich Bone, Marty Kozlowski, Coach Mary Bennett "Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly."Langston Hughes My path to baseball may have been worlds apart from the early experiences of my future teammates in high school and college. Kids in Joliet and other … Continue reading My Footpath to Braidwood Baseball  →

It’s not that I didn’t have the time over the years. It just didn’t occur to me until too late. There have been so many questions after my parents died; questions about their earlier years, about their parents, about growing up in the 1920s and 1930s. Unhappily, these questions, once past their termination dates, will … Continue reading Missed Conversations with Mom and Dad →

Pat, Nellie, Fergie, Gasser, Tom "It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory." W. Edwards Deming Before you shed undeserved crocodile tears for us, let’s think about this. (Violin music sounds.) We grew up in the 1940s and 1950s, a time in the only world that we knew that could make sense. Things were what … Continue reading Change is Tough on Us Old White Guys →