Athens has its Acropolis. Rome has its Coliseum. And Akron has its Rubber Bowl. Ancient (and not so ancient) ruins pointing to earlier civilizations: haunted, yet imbued with beauty and intrigue, as well. Cor and I finally got to visit … Continue reading
I recently finished reading Jeff Chang’s book, Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation. It was recommended to me by my friend Mark. Even though I’m a slow reader, I had some extra time off over Kent State University’s … Continue reading
It’s that time of the year for retrospection. I’ve posted my Top Ten Songs of 2022. I’ve posted my Top Ten Books of 2022. And now, I’m following the pattern that I established in previous years: turning my attention to hikes that … Continue reading
When I look back at old pictures, I notice that it’s often the littlest details that draw the fondest memories. The familiar building from 1951 with the unfamiliar embellishments… the make and model of the family car in 1994… the … Continue reading
I recently got some extended time with God in the Wick Recreation Area of Youngstown’s Mill Creek Park. It felt uncomfortably cold, and gray, and dead when I started out. But gradually, I started to notice the beauty of the … Continue reading
I often joke that I take the “Quantity over Quality” approach to photography. But today was a notable exception. I traveled back to my hometown of Shelby, Ohio, for a speaking engagement. And while I was there, I only took … Continue reading
If we really are headed towards a Post-Christian America, what are we Christians supposed to do about that? People who grew up in the Church feel threatened, so our posture often becomes defensive. Our natural inclination is to think in … Continue reading
I ran the Youngstown Half-Marathon this morning. It’s a newer race (this was only the fifth edition of the event). As such, it had a smaller field (less than 300 runners, total). Even so, the race organizers plotted a beautiful … Continue reading
I predicted that we were headed into the Peak Week of fall foliage on Thursday, October 6th. I was tentative, especially about figuring out the front end of our area’s Peak Week. But I felt pretty confident that we’d be … Continue reading
I love a good flag. Vexillology (the study of flags) combines my passions for history, geography, storytelling, and design. Furthermore, I love locality. The older I’ve gotten, the more I’ve learned to appreciate and prioritize deeply knowing and inhabiting one’s … Continue reading