Ideally, I would read this essay to you because it has a “pace” that paints a picture of how my mind works, sputters, overcorrects and misfires. But lacking such a luxury (although maybe someday I’ll share a video of me reading it), I’ll ask you to read it quickly, as though these words are coming out of someone’s brain in real time and in a rush … which is exactly what happened when I wrote it. It was a cloudless day, not something we see often in the Upper Midwest in late February. It was...

I wrote this a while back, but it illustrates how I feel just about every day, especially lately. I want to share quirky, relatable stories that make people laugh. But somedays (too many, in fact), I feel guilty writing lighthearted prose when the world is so ... heavy. So today, I'm reposting this piece, which the conflict between what my mind wants to write and what my soul needs to share. Hopefully, next week I'll be in a place that feels more lighthearted and quirky. And I hope today...

How are y'all doing on your your New Year's resolutions? I don't ask to be snarky, assuming you've already mothballed your big plans for 2026. I ask because now that it's almost March, it seems like by now you've either 1) completely abandoned your '26 initiative(s) or 2) you've leaned in 100%. Because with New Year's resolutions, I find there's little room "in the middle." I'm not a resolution guy; and in recent years, I've eschewed outcome-based goals as well. Let's take my golf game which,...