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…
I slid my check across the counter to the Chicago bank teller. The amount was nothing special; thirty dollars for a 10-minute set at a comedy club the previous evening. “Deposit or cash back?” the teller asked. “Just cash 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…
The Washington Post headline caught my eye moments after logging into my computer, with the intent of finishing my 2025 taxes: “The US was the only country in a worldwide survey to say most fellow citizens are bad people.” I…
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…