One of my favorite phrases has always been “plug away.” Officially, it means to persist through effort—to keep putting one foot in front of the other. But whenever I hear it, I immediately picture the classic cartoon Pluggers, with its affectionate nod to the down-to-earth people who quietly keep the world spinning. Back when my…
Gratitude
Life has a funny way of throwing us a curveball right when we think we’ve got our stance figured out. Nobody knows that better than Michael J. Fox. Through his foundation, he’s been a beacon of light for folks navigating Parkinson’s disease, but even the strongest light can flicker. In his memoir, No Time Like…
Outrageous
I’m reading a book that asks me to write down one outrageous goal. I don’t know the punchline yet—what I’m actually supposed to do with it—but the prompt itself got me thinking. Not just about my own choice, but about the word outrageous. It’s a chameleon of a word. What’s wild to me might be…
Fandom
Suzy’s doctor was hoarse this morning. He apologized, explaining it wasn’t a medical issue—just “sports related.” We were a little puzzled at first, but when we asked again, he confessed he’d spent the weekend watching his favorite team lose to Texas. I told him he finally knew what it was like to be a Razorback…
Distractions
I was finally set to write the piece I’ve wanted to address for a long time: the conflict between a game I love—football—and everything that troubles me about it, particularly CTE. People ask me about it constantly, but finding the right words has been a slow, heavy process. Anyway, the weekend arrived, the desk was…