Aligning Personal Mission with Institutional Mission = Fulfillment

President David Clarke, S.J. "From its inception in 1981, the Regis University accelerated adult education learning program gradually gained national and international recognition among its peer institutions as a model to be emulated. At the time, there were only five other colleges that employed the same model. By 2010, this model had been adopted by … Continue reading Aligning Personal Mission with Institutional Mission = Fulfillment

Human Warning Labels: “Best Used By” and “Expiration Dates”

Long live my marbles! “…and Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech 782 years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Methuselah were 969 years, and he died.”Genesis 5, 26-27 “Methuselah lived 900 years, and who calls that livin,’ When no gal will give in, To no man what’s 900 years.”Porgy and Bess, … Continue reading Human Warning Labels: “Best Used By” and “Expiration Dates”

How Much of a Gamble Was It?”

“In 1986, I took a job 983 miles (14 hours) away from my home in Wilmington, Illinois without knowing exactly what the job of assistant to the president entailed. This is not to say that job expectations anywhere precisely represent reality as you later understand. But it is not an understatement to say that the … Continue reading How Much of a Gamble Was It?”

My Ancestor Immigrants: Günther, Ó Cinnéíde, and Klavër

“We are a nation of immigrants? Not exactly.” To label our country as a “nation of immigrants” is hardly accurate. There already were indigenous people, Native Americans, here. Yes, their ancestors probably migrated across the Bering Strait between 15,000 and 30,000 years ago before any other humans were here. But that hardly classifies them as … Continue reading My Ancestor Immigrants: Günther, Ó Cinnéíde, and Klavër

Guest Post from Former Braidwood Resident: Richard Shaw

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

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

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?”