Now that summer is in full swing, a flood of memories, spanning 40 years, returns each time I pass a community pool. As a kid growing up in suburban Chicago, the community pool tripled as playground, athletic facility and babysitter.…
In my time on Earth, I have lost one parent, four grandparents, a few close friends and one child. OK, the last one occurred at Target and I found her after a few panicked runs through the aisles but it…
Imagine sitting silently on a stage while your friend, sibling, or co-worker, armed with a microphone and PowerPoint slides, reveals your life’s details to a roomful of strangers. Within five minutes, that audience could learn about your job status, annual…
I am starting to realize that if, heaven forbid, I need help in my neighborhood and emit a scream, nobody will hear me. Unless someone not wearing headphones happens to be nearby. Which seems unlikely based on observations. Gen Zers,…
Forgive me if this column reads like I nodded off while writing it. For I am only trying to prove a point. To be honest, I took a power nap mid-sentence. For me, napping, specifically POWER napping, has never been…
Recently, it has occurred to me that hotel housekeeping service personnel have lots of free time on their hands. To alleviate their boredom, I offer a simple solution: Come to my place. Last week, I checked into one of the…
Sports metaphors in politics have become a strange new qualification for public office. Apparently, if you’ve played, coached, or even interviewed someone holding a ball, you’re ready to legislate. During Chicago’s brutally cold winter, I have managed to indulge my…
Forgive the language used in this column. On second thought, don’t. I really don’t give an f-bomb. You see, I think it’s time we admit the f-bomb, or “eff,” has secured its place in normal everyday language. Not that there…
While perusing the list of celebrities we lost in 2025, I noticed a glaring omission. It wasn’t a person but an institution; one that created, or had a hand in creating, some of the names on that very list. Names…
Staying healthy in 2026 is going to require a dictionary. Or maybe a translator. I realized this recently while strolling through Santa Fe, New Mexico, known, appropriately, as “The City Different.” In between the dozens of art galleries, Pueblo-inspired architectural…