Jill and I reconnected in the summer of 2018. I was visiting my parents in Wisconsin when she responded to a birthday greeting I sent earlier that week. “I see you’re in the Midwest,” she said. “Do you want to meet for lunch?” I told her I would be passing through Chicago on my way […]
In the fall of 1986, I returned to the photojournalism lab at Northern Illinois University. I was two years out of college and supporting myself by delivering pizzas while struggling to establish a foothold in the journalism profession. There had been other jobs. I caught on with Young Athlete Magazine right out of college. Young […]
What is it they say? You may not remember what someone said, but you will always remember the way they made you feel. I met Jill when she was 12 years old, but I don’t remember it. She was my sister’s friend, three years younger than me, and what high school boy pays attention to […]
“Forward, together forward” “There’s victory in view” “Come on you Huskies, fight on you Huskies” “And win for NIU” Huskie Fight Song, Northern Illinois University The last time I saw Rus Elder in person was Homecoming of 1992. I lived in Maryland, but was excited about returning to DeKalb for the festivities. I was excited […]
About the same time we stopped going to the dog park, our neighbors decided to add a canine companion to their family. As Diana tells it, they wanted a docile dog who was easy to manage. They went to the shelter and picked one who they thought was the perfect fit—Brady. Brady weighed about 70 […]