As I walked out of the grocery store, I was approached by a young man in a Boy Scout Uniform. He had a Tenderfoot rank patch and was probably in his first year of scouting. “Would you be interested in supporting the Boy Scouts?” he asked. I said I would and let him make his [...]
#Life
a story worth telling is a life worth living
Tag Archives: #family
The Maiden Voyage
Greetings brothers, sisters, strangers, friends, and fellow beings. My name is Andrew. I am new to #Life, and I am eager to begin my maiden voyage into the realm of the blogosphere. Please, folks, no icebergs. I start my life from the humblest of beginnings, in rural Illinois, built on the heritage of a small [...]
The difference a year can make
One year ago today was the worst day of my life. St. Patrick’s Day has always been a great day for me. The “P” in JPS stands for Patrick, and I’m named after the Holiday more than the Saint — though I’ve always been a pretty big fan of the Saint, too. I’m wearing the [...]
I’m taking this Lent off
I have been struggling with my faith for the last year. I am a Roman Catholic and have been since birth. I never really stopped being a Catholic, though I have stopped practicing almost completely. When I was 19 or 20, I did go through a very serious exploration of my religion and spirituality in [...]
A poet has to eat a fruit that rhymes
I’ve always been an orange person. During college, apples only fell into two categories of my life: decoration and Hooch ingredient. But, as I begin having a “real life” and I try to start eating more fruits and (when I can stomach it) veggies, I find that sometimes you just have to eat an apple. [...]
Leave my drinking habits alone
Upon arriving at my desk this morning, I found 2/3 of a swallow of Diet Mountain Dew left in a bottle on the folded sheet of paper I use as a coaster. The bottle had been left open (as I’d thrown the cap at a coworker for saying she couldn’t read the paper she was [...]
How many sticks does it take to get the bow on your brother’s behind?
Each year, I try to convince myself that I’m going to try opening my Christmas presents the same way my brother does. The way it works in my family, we all take a turn opening presents one at a time, oldest to youngest. Though it was hard to tolerate as a small child, I do [...]
A newsroom feast
Most people want to be with their families on Thanksgiving. My parents came out last week and we had a number of nice meals, even one that I cooked up with mashed potatoes, broccoli, fruit salad and apple pie. That felt nice, but the newsroom feast takes the cake… or the pie, in this case. [...]
Giving thanks for work
Rogue 3, one of my friends from the Quad-Cities, sent me a text yesterday asking when I’d be home for Thanksgiving, and so I told him that I wouldn’t be because I had to work. And it doesn’t really bother me. I’m the low guy on the ladder and I wasn’t even employed at the [...]
Wherein the author moves to Florida
GAINESVILLE — After months of living in various states of homelessness and mooching, I finally have my own apartment again. Yet I still find myself sleeping on the couch. It’s not so bad, since the reason is that I still haven’t found my sheets. Not to mention, I own a pretty comfy couch (though it’s [...]