I have never aspired to write poetry. Yet I believe each person has an instinctive poetic impulse. And, whether nurtured or spontaneous, it can be released to express a meaningful insight into life and our experience of living. If we catch it at that moment, we might even be able to write it down. The…
Author: admin
Don’t lose the music!
Cherished memories. This dvd of Fiddler on the Roof waits expectantly on my bookshelf, ready to be of service again. My daughter and I have precious memories of multiple viewings together. Each time, the musical drama took us on a journey through a full range of human emotions. As the final scene faded out, we…
Hammers and bellows – the rhythm of life
My father was a self-taught musician. It made him quite popular in the 1940s farming community. Ukrainian weddings, anniversaries and other special events needed a band to liven up the community hall. There wasn’t much pay other than free drinks but the prestige was high. Dad played the tsymbaly, the accordion and, if called upon,…
“I love my life”
My child, my gift, my life. Would I have been in church that Sunday morning if I was them? Or any Sunday? Is it reasonable to acknowledge God as good when life has dealt you a blow that almost crushes you every day? The Mom was seated a few rows ahead of me. As the…
Nostalgia on life
Wednesday evening – something for everyone. Our home is likely similar to yours. Favourite television programs each week are pre-recorded for leisurely fast-tracking through commercials. Wednesday evening for us is a downer if the three Chicago programs (Med, Fire, PD) don’t offer a new episode. A fine example of high-level negotiation, my wife and I…
How do you shed the crown?
When I finished Who made you King? (July 8, 2026), I realized I had only scratched the surface of the topic’s relevance to my own life. The trail is long and littered with my self-contained decisions. Which wouldn’t be so bad if I had stayed single and responsible only to myself. But I didn’t. And…
Who made you King?
Spoiler alert. I will be ‘bashing’ men in this reflection. It is unapologetically one-sided. The emoting is my own and not a summary of stuff from the internet (other than a few statistics). If you don’t care for where this is going, please abort now. As time passes, I am increasingly turned off common distasteful…
My name is Jay
I met Jay at Walmart parking lot on a cold winter morning. Just outside the entrance door as I was going in. The funnel hood on his parka, rolled all the way forward, pushed a ring of long unruly hair out the front that largely hid his face from view. And made him look pretty…
Growing up is hard to do – part 2
The things we remember. Growing up is hard to do – part 1 (June 17, 2026) ended with remorse for not knowing how to look after my dog Boots. I remember so much detail about his unfortunate end to life. But I have no memory of discussions with my parents about getting a dog or…
Growing up is hard to do – part 1
Neil Sedaka sang “Breaking up is hard to do.” It was 1962, I was 14 years old, too socially inept to have a girlfriend so never experienced the hardship of breaking up. But the title inspired me to think about how growing up is hard to do. From farm to town. I farmed until I…