Life, Faith, and Family in the Great State of Nebraska
I’m not sure what happens in other households, but over the years my boys have begged me to take them to Gamestop. As a matter of fact, it was the first store I ever allowed them to venture into alone. I think the older boys might have been in about sixth grade. I went to […]
Read More Gamestop and the Art of Parenting FailsI can’t remember not knowing how to play chess. Not that I am or was any good at it–I have no real talent for strategy and was much more excited in my preschool years about playing Candyland than I was about capturing rooks or sacrificing pawns. Nor was I some sort of child genius who […]
Read More Chess and Everything Else: A Farewell to my Oldest BrotherMy son Anthony is a powerhouse of energy. He’s not spastic or out of control–at least not most of the time. (The wondrous product of a dad who loves him and works to build discipline in him.) Instead, he’s like a pot set to a constant pre-boil, simmering and waiting, ready to explode when the […]
Read More The Frisbee That Rescued My SonThis weekend I was riding in the car with Benjamin, and as is the norm at this time of year when the grass is green and the dirt is warm, he was talking about baseball. The Mets–and their lack of a bullpen, their anemic bats, whether or not they should just trade away Jacob DeGrom […]
Read More The Return of Sarah ConnerI love the ocean. Perhaps it’s more accurate to say I love the beach. Sitting on the sand, listening to the steady drum of the surf, the booming and hissing of the waves as they crash ashore and sizzle away into nothing. Some days the water is glittering smooth and shiny, bringing with it peaceful […]
Read More The Uncontrollable, Indomitable Whoosh of TimeI’ll bet I get asked this question ten times a day by my students. And I’ll admit, it grates on me a little bit. Maybe because I answer it the same way every time. (“Do something productive. Do other homework. Read a book. Write a letter to your grandmother.”) Or maybe because it’s kids doing […]
Read More What Do We Do When We Have Everything Done?After ten years, The Big Red Blog was looking pretty outdated and distinctly un-groovy. Unfortunately, my ability to navigate the functions necessary to freshen up the blog’s looks were stuck back in 2011. I couldn’t even remember how I set it up in the first place. Enter the world’s kindest human, Nick Orduna. Or as […]
Read More The Big Red Blog Takes on a Big, New LookThis winter, Nebraska has been just about the grayest place imaginable. It’s kind of an anomaly, because generally speaking, Nebraska weather is pretty unpredictable and erratic. The locals are fond of saying, “If you don’t like the weather in Nebraska, wait a day and it will change.” And they are usually right. But not this […]
Read More The Gray and The Blues“Cancel culture is a modern form of ostracism in which someone is thrust out of social or professional circles – either online on social media, in the real world, or both.” And it is seriously on my last nerve. First, I’m not sure when it became such a big deal to disagree with someone. To […]
Read More An Army of OneWhen Benjamin was in fifth grade, he begged me to sign him up for youth wrestling. “Wrestling?” I thought. “Yuck!” Let me explain. When I was in high school in Pennsylvania, wrestling was a really big deal. (As in, I’m sure my high school had a basketball team, but I don’t remember anybody watching them.) […]
Read More Everything Else is Wrestling
Breaking for Big Red 