Although I was born and raised in Chicago, I left the moment I was old enough to be on my own. I couldn’t wait to get out of the city; I wanted nothing to do with it. Though the city offered myriad cultural amenities, Chicago in the winter was a deal breaker. Over the years … Read more
I saw them before I heard them. On the distant horizon a line of tiny black specks appeared in the crystal blue sky. From their classic ‘V’ formation I knew they were Canada Geese. As I watched, thousands more rose from behind the distant treeline that marked the river, broke into smaller flocks, and circled … Read more
While backpacking around the world, I encountered this young boy, who peeked out at me as I crossed a bridge near the Preah Khan Temple in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
The Kankakee River ice jam is no more. Two days ago the temperature in Illinois soared to a record breaking 60 degrees; this on the heels of weeks of sub-zero temperatures that had frozen the river solid. As the thermometer climbed, the ice began to melt and crack, piling up in giant slabs that backed … Read more
About a year ago, I wrote a story titled “Hopelessness Is Only One Letter Away From Hopelessness.” I have more interaction with homeless people than most, since I live in Sarasota, Florida, midway between the Salvation Army facility and downtown. Every day, dozens of homeless people walk downtown in the morning and return to the … Read more
