Bryan R..

Joined September 2018

118 stories

Bio

Husband. Father. Music and Youth Pastor. I enjoy writing as a hobby.

Stories (118)

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Chicago's Getting Catty
I read that Chicago has a rat problem. Though some might immediately think of their local government, I'm pretty certain the post referenced a problem of the rodent variety. According to the Hill, "The Windy City has ranked number one on pest control company Orkin’s list of the “rattiest cities” in the U.S. for six consecutive years, as Chicago has had the most rodent pest treatments." Though being number one is often a coveted position, in this case, it's best to be ranked much further down the list. Chicago is taking some significant measures to curb the rat population, a measure that might spark nightmares in those averse to felines.
By Bryan R..5 years ago in Petlife
My Wife, the Mom Boss
God blessed me with a fantastic mother. She was a stay-at-home mom until my siblings and I were well into school. I benefited from her nurturing care and good example as a child and still experience it as a grown man. I definitely could write about my own mother, but the boss mom I want to spotlight is my wife.
By Bryan R..5 years ago in Families
A Flicker to Calm the Frightened
A lullaby, a whispered prayer, Dear kisses on the brow, Sweet dreams wished, the light blown out, The sandman comes; he comes right now.
By Bryan R..5 years ago in Poets
Abolishing Modern Slavery
A few days ago, I posted a story about how the lives of John Quincy Adams and Abraham Lincoln intersected. Former President Adams exemplified a strong fervor to abolish slavery and Lincoln embraced Adams' dream. Under the Lincoln Administration in 1865, slavery was abolished. And though Adams died 20 years before his dream materialized, Adams' believed in his heart of hearts that one day, no man would own another.
By Bryan R..5 years ago in Humans
Be a Stepping Stone
Stepping stones serve an important purpose. I remember moments from my adolescence when hiking in the woods with my cousins and coming upon a small stream. Only a few feet separated one bank from the other, but instead of leaping and risking getting wet, we chose to step from one raised stone to another, carefully fording the chilly waters. An online dictionary defines stepping stones in the following manner: "an action or event that helps one to make progress towards a specified goal." Consider the fact our lives can be a stepping stone as well. President Adams' embraced this ideal.
By Bryan R..5 years ago in FYI
The Invasion of the Genetically Modified Mosquitos
The year 2020 presented challenges on a grand scale. The coronavirus wreaked havoc globally, forcing entire nations to shut down their economies to “flatten the curve.” Hospital admittances skyrocketed, people donned masks and social distancing became all the rage. I guess I shouldn’t use the past tense. We are well into 2021, and though the positivity rates for Covid are dropping in the United States, there are still Coronavirus hot spots around the globe. I doubt we will stop using the term “pandemic” any time soon. Since that is the case, maybe now is not a good time to turn the Florida Keys into a science experiment.
By Bryan R..5 years ago in FYI
My Battle With a Possum
A few years ago, I inadvertently had a run in with a possum. But first, let me address the animal's correct spelling. According to Grammarly.com, opossums live in North America and possums live in Australia. I live in North America and we Midwesterners call the opossum a possum even though it's not a possum at all. But, since I call the opossum a possum, I will hence forth continue to call the animal a possum even though it's not. So, as I previously mentioned, a few years ago, I inadvertently had a run in with a possum.
By Bryan R..5 years ago in FYI
Lebron James Should Stick to Basketball
I love the sport of basketball. During my childhood, my brother and I competed against each other in slam dunk competitions with our Nerf Hoop. As I got older, I played a little school ball and then in college, I laced up my shoes to play on a couple of intramural leagues. I love March Madness and was devastated when the tournament was canceled because of Covid. Concerning the NBA, I'm a fan of the 80's and early 90's athletes. Though people vehemently debate the issue, I believe Michael Jordan to be the greatest of all time. However, I loved watching Larry Bird shoot, Dr. J dunk, and Magic Johnson pass the ball. Kareem amazed me with his patented sky hook. Honestly, within the last 20 years, only a couple of players come to my mind that have made lasting impressions...Kobe Bryant and Lebron James. Sadly, Kobe Bryant passed away in a tragic accident in 2020. Lebron James continues to wow fans, when uninjured, but his agent should instruct him to stick to basketball.
By Bryan R..5 years ago in The Swamp
Why the Oscar Ratings Keep Tanking
I chose not to watch the Oscars last night. The thought of being lectured by "woke" Hollywood elites churns my stomach, and so I watched two West Coast Baseball teams duke it out on the diamond. As a Midwesterner, that's incredibly uncommon, but desperate times call for desperate measures. In fact, had Olympic Curling been on, I'd chosen that over the virtue signaling actors at the podium last night. Many Americans must feel the same as I. Last night, less than 10 million viewers tuned in, a 58% drop from last year. Sadly, those living in Hollywood's Ivory Towers fail to comprehend why we the peasants turn up their noses on the film industry's special night. For many of us, the reasons are obvious.
By Bryan R..5 years ago in The Swamp
The Angry Benevolent Face in the Skies
Benton Cross graduated Summa cum laude with a degree in Maritime History from Old Dominion University. Soon after, he sought a publishing house or the financing to self-publish a book titled The Graveyard of the Atlantic. For almost a year, Benton mailed query letters and submitted his premise for a book highlighting shipwrecks and the supernatural in and around the eastern sea coast of North Carolina. For weeks, the postal service delivered multiple rejection letters. Finally, a small Mom and Pop publishing company headquartered in the Ozark Mountains expressed interest and pledged to publish the book, promote it and provide five hundred hardback copies for $5,000 upfront. For a recent college graduate, this amount was out of the question. The book, "Shipwrecks, Survivors, and the Spectral," would remain a dream as he focused on research.
By Bryan R..5 years ago in Humans
There are Winners and Losers
I grew up in the age of winners and losers. I am a product of the 70's and 80's. Every Saturday evening, my family huddled around the television and watched ABC's Wide World of Sports. Host Jim McCay started each broadcast with the following monologue, "Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sports... the thrill of victory... and the agony of defeat... the human drama of athletic competition... This is "ABC's Wide World of Sports!" I stopped watching the show in the late 80's, but the phrase "Thrill of victory and the agony of defeat," has stuck with me. I learned both ends of the spectrum at an early age.
By Bryan R..5 years ago in Humans
Going Down in History
Francis Browne entered the First-Class Dining Saloon on 'D' deck. A stringed quintet softly played "The Blue Danube Waltz" while passengers dined on the sumptuous fares of the upper class. He strolled happily to his table, greeting fellow diners along the way. Many of these who smiled and nodded "welcomes" had gladly posed for photographs on the Promenade Deck, requesting a tintype copy at his convenience. He still marveled that his uncle had given him a first-class ticket. Of course, the ticket price paled in comparison to the $20,000 investment his uncle had made in the White Star Line, specifically for this floating wonder. His Jesuit training and priestly pursuits would never provide such extravagance; dining with lawyers, bankers, and railroad magnates thrust him into a world truly not his own.
By Bryan R..5 years ago in Humans