No one ever says that middle school years are the best years of life. Absolutely no one. It is a truth universally acknowledged that the middle school/junior high years are difficult for everyone involved, but especially the kids themselves. I am fortunate that I went to a K-8 school and only struggled during my freshman [...]
I’m writing this as rain finally falls on the Bighorns. I speak for everyone who has watched the mountains burn; we have never been more excited to see precipitation and cool weather. My gratitude is overwhelming. Often, gratitude follows acts of generosity, evident as we watch friends and neighbors unite to help each other through [...]
I’m pretty sure I’ve packed more travel into my life in the last two months than in the last several years. BK (before kids), I was a traveling fool, and my passport got a workout. Once the first boy arrived and the second one followed, I was fully tethered to them and our local environs. [...]
This was a big week for the Center for a Vital Community. On Tuesday, we graduated our seventh class of community leaders through the CiViC Leadership Project, the CVC’s flagship program. We also celebrated one of our trainers who has been with this program since its inception eighteen years ago. Incredibly, over 170 women and [...]
The term ‘legacy’ is intimidating. Defined as the long-lasting impact of a person’s life, it’s usually used to describe political figures, sports legends, and millionaires. The average Joe and Josephine probably don’t walk around wondering what their legacy will be. Maybe they should. In the last few months, Sheridan has lost several people who embodied [...]
I was just in Peoria, IL, right after my niece’s extraordinary wedding because my dad had another major stroke in mid-September. He’s currently in a fantastic rehab/skilled nursing facility and doing a lot of physical, occupational, and speech therapy. I don’t know if he will ever leave, but at least they’re doing everything they can [...]
My first involvement of being involved with a nonprofit was somewhat unconventional. About a year after I moved to Sheridan, my brother was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Scared and wanting to do something proactive, I met another Sheridanite who had fought and was beating the same disease. His family and a few other passionate friends [...]
Did everyone survive Thanksgiving a few pounds heavier but with familial relationships mostly intact? ‘Tis the season for ugly political discussions over the big bird. There’s nothing quite like mixing alcohol, simmering resentments, buttery carbohydrates, and long-term misunderstandings to make for unfortunate dinner conversations featuring raised voices and pounding fists. Here at the CVC, we’ve [...]
If you missed the ads in between the political spots, it's back-to-school time. I have no idea why January, February, and March can’t go by as fast as June, July, and August, but they don’t. It’s a cruel cosmic mystery. My 17-year-old son, Nick, is a senior this year. This is impossible to fathom. I [...]
I’ve recently returned from our youth leadership camp, CampFIRE. Thirty-six incoming high school freshmen from Sheridan and Johnson counties kept Julie, I, and the YMCA camp counselors active and on our toes. It’s a 5-day, 4-night camp up at Camp Roberts above Buffalo, and I am not exaggerating when I estimate that 65-90% of the [...]
