Writing from the Heart with Brian
Think, Laugh, & Cry Each Day
I moved ahead two small steps. The long line of mourners wormed its way across and then back to the front doors of the church. The line was moving, but progress was slow. Last summer, I stood with fifty to sixty other people in line in an old church. I was at a funeral to... Continue Reading →
Two couples live next door to each on a cul-de-sac on a peaceful suburban street. They're friendly and everyone waves to each other as they come and go. They've each been married for twenty-some years and have two kids, a boy and a girl. One house has a Golden Retriever, the other a Labrador Retriever.... Continue Reading →
My voice croaked. It wasn't a quiet sour-note hidden by the angelic voices of my classmates. No, it was a loud mid-sentence clunker that was there for everyone to hear. I've never had much of a singing voice. My stutter as a kid certainly played a part. I've just never been able to control my... Continue Reading →
(I first ran a version of this piece on Dec. 25, 2015) The song “Mary, Did You Know” ranks as one of my favorite songs of the season. When I heard the song years ago, it inspired me to imagine in my own words what it must have been like to walk in her shoes.... Continue Reading →
My mom never had the chance to go to college. She never took a Psychology class and she never had a chance to sit in on a seminar on “how to win friends and influence others.” She grew up on an Amish farm and was forced to quit school after the eighth grade. Despite her... Continue Reading →
Many people seem on edge lately. They have an impending sense of doom. The election results in the U.S. have some folks worried for the future. For others, the economy; Mother Nature; the crazy spot we find ourselves in today, have all caused uneasiness. I've been thinking about it and I can't change the news.... Continue Reading →
I shut my laptop. It's been a few weeks now, so I can admit that I had a smug little smile spread across my face. I had signed up to write a novel in 30 days as part of the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) challenge and, through the first week or so of the... Continue Reading →
Today is Black Friday, the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season in the U.S. and beyond. Management Consulting Firm Bain & Company estimates that retail sales in the U.S. from Black Friday to Cyber Monday could increase by 5%, reaching a record-breaking $75 billion It's natural to think about gift-giving this time of the... Continue Reading →
In 1991, Gatorade ran an ad featuring Michael Jordan that showed game film of him in midair moving the basketball from his right hand to left to score a difficult layup. The commercial shows him dunking and being, well, classic MJ and then cuts to young men and kids playing on a playground court. They... Continue Reading →
Writing from the Heart with Brian 
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