Writing from the Heart with Brian
Think, Laugh, & Cry Each Day
The Mississippi native was talking about all the things wrong with his home state. He listed the problems and the state’s ranking in various nationwide surveys rapid fire. He knew them well and mocked the state's poor showing: Ranked 50th in poverty. Ranked 49th in the mortality rate, suicide rate, smoking rate, mental health, infant mortality... Continue Reading →
I was struck recently by the confusion of the world we live. One day you keep your head down and go to work or celebrate family night, the next, you go to the doctor for a nagging cough as one of my friends did recently and come back with some unsettling news. When I get... Continue Reading →
If you're one of the lucky ones, you woke up today wondering what day it is. Yes, you're completely oblivious to the day. I'm not talking about waking up in a drunken stupor. No, no, no one likes an alcohol-induced hangover. Instead, I'm talking about the days immediately before and after Christmas, right up until... Continue Reading →
I cringed in my seat. I was annoyed. The speaker was supposed to be talking about college admissions and how to help your son or daughter pick a major. Instead, he was going down a completely different path, talking about how he as a white guy has received certain advantages that his female or non-white... Continue Reading →
The grass is cut low so you can see the dew glisten on the ground. The flower beds look immaculately cut and mulched. There isn’t a piece of liter on the ground. The campus looks friendly and inviting. We have been on a seemingly endless college tour since the summer. My son is a senior... Continue Reading →
I walked out of the back door of the courthouse, focused on my thoughts. I was working as a small-town newspaper reporter in Virginia and needed to get back to the office to write up my story for the next day’s paper. When I returned to my desk, I would be pressed for time, so... Continue Reading →
Covid has changed our lives in so many ways. Many people have lost friends and family members. The pandemic has permanently shut down businesses and hurt us in the pocketbook. It's changed us in other serious ways too. I naturally see the challenges, but the part of me that tries to find the good in even... Continue Reading →
John Adams had it wrong. When the Continental Congress voted in favor of Virginia Delegate Richard Henry Lee’s resolution for independence on July 2, 1776, John Adams figured the day would be one for the history books. He wrote to his wife Abigail that July 2 “will be celebrated, by succeeding generations, as the great... Continue Reading →
I’m walking along an old trail in the woods and I’m lost. I stop to catch my breath and take a look around. I can’t tell if I’m headed in the right direction or taken a wrong turn a mile back. Everything looks familiar and unfamiliar all at the same time. When I start up... Continue Reading →
Writing from the Heart with Brian 
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