Writing from the Heart with Brian
Think, Laugh, & Cry Each Day
It's that time of year. Local high school kids are celebrating their graduations. Every time I look on social media the past week or so I keep coming across graduation pictures. There's one of a mom and dad and the man or woman of the hour. Gotta get one in there too of grandma or... Continue Reading →
(I ran version of this story in July 2016. I've updated and made a few changes to the piece.) When I was young kid, I loved to watch my dad carve an old sea captain or a duck from a block of wood. Or maybe a hound dog or grizzly bear. He carved anything that... Continue Reading →
I cranked the red launcher. I revved it as fast and as far as it would go. The seven-inch tall Evel Knievel on his red, white, and blue stunt cycle flew across the porch and onto the ramp. I had created the ramp using an old piece of wood that I had "borrowed" from my... Continue Reading →
The father in front of me look frazzled and was losing his patience. He had given his son a choice of Matchbox cars to buy for a birthday present for a friend. It was almost time to put the toy on the grocery store cash register. "Which is it going to be Max? The red... Continue Reading →
When I was a kid, my mother was a treasure-trove of folksy sayings. When I failed to make the varsity basketball team, she told me to "stop crying over spilled milk. When I was chomping at the bit for Christmas morning, she told me to "hold my horses." Some of her sayings and colloquialisms came... 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 →
After a long day of work, my dad would set his wallet on our kitchen table. I was amazed by both what was in it and how thick it was. The wallet was worn and sweat stained and looked the size of a small brick. He wasn't the only one. My baseball coach would come... 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 →
I had an idea in my head. We were going to hold off on having kids. I wanted to be further along in my career and making more money. When we finally had kids, I wanted a big house. I wanted a great job where I was in charge and could come and go as... Continue Reading →
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