“ChatGPT,” I could’ve said, “generate an image of me leaning against a life-size Lego car parked on Sinclair Lewis Avenue in Sauk Centre — in front of the Herald office …
The assassination of Charlie Kirk has reverberated around the planet. It has been labeled a political assassination, but, to me, it is so much more than that. There is definitely a martyrdom aspect …
In Ironia Lake, a small fictional town on the northwest edge of Stearns County, two imaginary neighbors have yards that could not be more different. Elmer Schnekelhauser’s lawn on 926 …
It was 4:30 a.m. when the alarm began its cruel and heartless ringing. My body convulsed wearily as I tried in vain to shut the darn thing up. Instead of hitting the silence button, I knocked the …
School is back in session, and the post-Labor Day downhill temperature slide has begun. It feels like fall is on our heels. People are either clamoring for the pumpkin-flavored everything or maybe …
Before we get into the main part of this column, let’s get serious. The anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City is once again upon us. On …
When was the last time you wrote something in your notebook? I don’t mean just any notebook, though. I mean your notebook, specifically. I have a couple of notebooks along these lines. The …
As fall slowly approaches, we should keep in mind our kids will be starting school or may have already started, and we should be mindful of our driving habits. Many of these young individuals are not …
The able-bodied, 50-something guy scowled and turned away, offended when I directed him to the other side of the milk booth; free refills were around the corner at another window. He walked 3 feet …
A friend of mine recently told me that our joy and happiness have to come from within. In other words, we can’t look to others for affirmation. I’ve been thinking about this idea since my …
Story requests from my life growing up on the farm have been brought forward on numerous occasions. The following might work for the next time I’m asked. Names have been changed to protect the …
It’s been a while since I exited the halls of academia and entered the world of professional journalism, which is broadly the same as academia except the homework never ends and it’s …