Published in The Memoirist·PinnedMember-onlyNobody is Ever Going to Ask Me to Be On Their PodcastSo I wrote the musical timeline of my life (from 1982–2001). — My friend, Rachel, recently told me she was on a podcast to talk about the six–10 songs that would define, or narrate (or whatever) her life. …Music7 min readMusic7 min read
Published in The Haven·PinnedMember-onlyIf Donald Trump Were a Manager at Super AmericaTrump’s never had a real job, but most of us have. And, all of us would be canned, shunned and jailed if we did Trumpy things at work. Take the Capitol riot, for instance. If I laid the groundwork and incited that shit I’d be sharing a cell today with…America4 min readAmerica4 min read
Published in Age of Empathy·Jan 20Member-onlyHow People ChangeIt doesn’t happen in 30 minutes or less. This is not pizza delivery. — Exercise has been a reoccurring inconvenience of mine for about 23 years. My tepid relationship with fitness began in high school when lifting was a required part of Phys. Ed. and football. As I entered my 20s, I’d take up some sweaty, grunty, or bendy activity to impress (or appease)…Growing Up5 min readGrowing Up5 min read
Published in The Press Box·Jan 11Member-onlyBlow it Up, Green BayThoughts on the 2022 Packers and beyond — Last year’s offseason featured unrest and indecision from the Packers front office and quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. They eventually signed Rodgers to a flexible deal that pays him a lot of money. But two days later they lost their best receiver (the team’s only legitimate receiver), Davante Adams, after he turned…Green Bay Packers8 min readGreen Bay Packers8 min read
Nov 30, 2022Member-onlyComing of AgeAnd before you know it, it’s time to go — The First Two Years When Brian Summers was born, it wasn’t his choice. He didn’t necessarily want to be birthed. And his parents didn’t want him either if we’re being honest — and we are. That’s the worst case take on this situation. The best case is the parents (Brian’s…Fiction13 min readFiction13 min read
Published in The Memoirist·Aug 25, 2022Member-onlyFishing For UnderstandingStop me if you’ve heard this one before — A guy goes on a guided fly-fishing float down the Snake River with three close friends and one stranger. The stranger is a guide and he happens to love telling endless amounts of tales. …Friendship6 min readFriendship6 min read
Published in The Memoirist·Aug 25, 2022Member-onlyMinneapolis to Minneapolis via La CrosseA journey from Jake’s apartment to Jake and Katy’s house. — It took me about five years to get a two-year degree. Partly because I didn’t know what I wanted to do, partly because being in school meant nobody expected much of me. …Life7 min readLife7 min read
Published in The Press Box·Apr 29, 2022Member-onlyNine Months in RochesterWhere I ended up after high school when I realized the only thing, I could do well was throw a football — I grew up in a small city in Wisconsin and attended small, parochial grade school and high school. When I was in high school from ‘98-’01, if a student didn’t show interest in becoming a pastor or teacher, the staff didn’t really know what to do. I don’t recall getting…Memoir7 min readMemoir7 min read
Apr 27, 2022Member-onlyThe Long WinterThe house wasn’t big, but it was built on a hill that looked down into a valley, bluffs on either side. In every direction was treeless, rolling hills — farm country in the southernmost part of Minnesota. Corn would be planted in the coming weeks. …Short Story5 min readShort Story5 min read
Published in The Memoirist·Apr 20, 2022Member-onlyThe Old Wooden ShelfMy great-grandparents were resourceful. Most people who survived the Great Depression were, or so I’ve been told. — Not a nail, scrap of material, or cherry tomato went to waste in their home. They had a garden in the backyard that yielded a good amount of their food each year and a cellar in the basement to house all sorts of pickled foodstuff that went from the garden…Furniture6 min readFurniture6 min read
