Stop, Look, Listen
Stop. Look. Listen. Sound advice for drivers approaching railroad tracks. It’s also good advice for parents. At 11:30 this night I stopped, looked and listened in the doorway of my…
Airport Tag
It was relatively quiet for a late afternoon at the Omaha airport. I was waiting out a two hour layover, pondering the price of a Diet Coke and cookie I…
The Flu
“You probably have a virus. The kid’s pediatrician said there are several going around the valley right now. Lots of people have it.” The only time I want to be…
Standing In Line
I have a bad feeling as soon as I walk through the door. To my right, a guy in a chair is trying to keep hold of a squirming, screaming…
Going For A Ride
It was the kind of Saturday Iowa kids look forward to from January on. A sunny, windy, “Mom said wear a jacket but I’m pretending I didn’t hear that” Saturday.…
Annie’s Duffle Bag
“Excuse me…could I get a drink of water?” She must have asked the question at least three times but I didn’t hear her over the spray of the garden hose.…
On Picasso And Priorities
Immediately after graduating from college in 1985 I lived with four of my friends on Central Ave in Orange City, IA. Occupying a corner lot, the gray two-story affectionately known…
Mercy, Grace And A Second Chance
Mercy means we are spared the punishment we deserve. Grace means we receive blessings we don’t deserve. Sometimes these truths are illustrated in a single terrifying moment. It was 4…
In The Heat Of The Moment
It was a family vacation during the summer of my 8th grade year. My grandparents were taking the trip with us to Ohio and West Virginia to visit distant relatives.…
TV Talk Show Theology
Hello! And welcome to our show. We’re glad you tuned in. Today’s topic promises to be a hot one! We’re talking with parents who claim, “My Teenage Gothic Vampire Wild…