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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The Time the U.S. Government Poisoned its Citizens
Ronald Reagan once said, "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the Government, and I'm here to help." There's definitely a mistrust between our citizenry and those passing down laws from the highest echelons of government. What Washington D.C. deems best for the Country, often times presents more problems than blessings . That being the case, it makes it difficult to trust the powers that be. Take for instance that time the United States Government ordered the poisoning of industrial alcohols to thwart the efforts of bootleggers during Prohibition.
By Bryan R..5 years ago in The Swamp
Show Me the Money
As a child, I remember an older gentleman, a friend of the family, giving me old coins for my birthday. Prior to retiring, he and his wife owned a grocery store. Patrons paid with currency and coins and occasionally an old silver dime or quarter exchanged hands. When he noticed this transaction, he swapped out modern change for the coins with greater value because of their silver content. Over the years, he accumulated quite a collection. Occasionally, I became a beneficiary, as he loved giving the silver away on special days...like celebrating the day of my birth.
By Bryan R..5 years ago in FYI
The Night I Played Hockey with a Possum
A few years ago, my family owned a pair of Schnoodles. Some classify these as “yapping” dogs, and Shadow and Spook lived up to that classification. They also lived up to their names. Shadow attached himself to his closest master and Spook buried himself under the furniture anytime anyone got close or sneezed. On one dark summer night around 1:00 am, the dogs' endless barking prompted my wife to elbow me in the ribs, pushing me into action.
By Bryan R..5 years ago in Humans
A Heroine Like Paul Revere
One of the most recognized names in the annals of American history is Paul Revere. Revere earned the designation of an American Patriot for his midnight ride to alert the colonial militia that the British Redcoats were marching on Lexington and Concord. Famed poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote a poem commemorating Paul Revere's Ride in 1861. His renowned work begins:
By Bryan R..5 years ago in FYI
Napoleon Lost by a Hare
When you think of rabbits, what comes to mind? Do words like cute, cuddly, or Bugs Bunny bounce around in your brain? Maybe, Easter Eggs tops the list. Unless experiencing a hare-raising nightmare induced by spicy foods, I doubt bunnies instill fear and dread. In the wild, rabbits keep their distance from humanity, scampering off and sheltering in their burrows until the perceived threat has passed. George Orwell addressed this dichotomy when he said, "Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he is lord of all the animals." Napoloeon might take issue with this comment. And, no, I'm not referencing Napoloeon Dynamite.
By Bryan R..5 years ago in FYI
The Not So Wonderful Wizard of Oz
"We're....off to see the ______________" Did your mind fill in the blank? Did you find yourself singing the song? I wouldn't be surprised. The song, "We're off to See the Wizard" debuted in the 1939 cinematic marvel, "The Wizard of Oz." Now, eighty plus years old, the film has left an indelible mark on generations of fans. Maybe you've incorporated some of the most memorable lines from the movie like: "There's no place like home," "I'll get you my pretty, and your little dog to," or my personal favorite, "We're not in Kansas anymore." I remember my family gathering around the television every year to watch the annual broadcast. (Even to this day, I squirm at the Flying Monkeys scene.) It wasn't until a few years ago I learned that many in the movie industry called this classic film cursed. In fact, key actors suffered devastating injuries and near death allergic reactions during the production of this movie.
By Bryan R..5 years ago in Geeks
When Refrigerator Art Could Have Been Olympic Training
Provided the world dodges a deadly variant of the Covid Virus in the coming months, the Summer Olympics plan to kick off in July. After postponing the games in 2020 because of the global pandemic, the Olympics committee has given the go ahead for Japan to host the games this Summer. Once again, the finest athletes in the world will converge to showcase their feats of strength and endurance. But did you know, according to the Smithsonian magazine that between 1912 and 1948, the Olympic Games awarded medals in literature, sculpture, music, painting, and architecture. Yes, works of art classified as an Olympic Sport. The one stipulation being each piece submitted had to utilize a sport as its theme.
By Bryan R..5 years ago in FYI
Not EXACTLY Birds of a Feather
I love mysteries. As a child, I cut my early sleuthing teeth on a little known set of books called The Happy Hollisters. I read and reread those maroon colored hardback books until the spines hung on by a thread. In my late Elementary and early Junior High years, I progressed to the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. Many nights I devoured one of these "thrillers" until my eyes grew heavy with sleep. The next morning, I shoved the books into my backpack and if I ever had free time in class, I read one of these classic mysteries. Even today, I love a good whodunit. In the Summer and Fall of 2020, I stumbled upon a cardboard box of over 100 Agatha Christie mysteries at a garage sale and am currently reading through the novels one at a time. But, not only do I enjoy reading mysteries, I also love watching them. One of my favorites is "Monk" starring Tony Shaloub.
By Bryan R..5 years ago in Humans
Ten April's
April 11th, 2008 changed my family's life forever. The day started like any other Monday. I had the day off; my wife ran errands, including shuttling my 8 year-old son to the dentist. While on the road, my son complained of sharp pain in his arm and chest. So, instead of an oral check-up she detoured to a local pediatric urgent care. After several hours of blood work and scans, the on-call doctor shared the diagnosis. The physician found a mass in his chest. She asked my wife and I to choose a regional children's hospital and explained a life-flight helicopter would transport him to whichever one we selected. Knowing nothing about either hospital network, we chose St. Louis Children's Hospital. Within a few hours, the crew whisked my son away, and my wife, parents and I drove three hours to meet him there
By Bryan R..5 years ago in Families
The Ambiguity of Horoscopes
My mother birthed me into this world on June 3rd, 1971. That means I fall smack dab in the middle of the Tribe of Gemini. I discovered my sign as an older child, not because of a belief in astrology but because a tabloid rag in the check-out line spotlighted a story about famous Geminis on the front cover. I learned I had something in common with Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe and John F. Kennedy. After I learned my sign, for entertainment, I occasionally read the horoscopes in my local newspaper. The editor of the paper stuck the horoscopes in a small box on page three. People with failing eyesight probably utilized a magnifying glass to absorb the possibilities for the day or checked to see if the predictions had rang true. I found the prognostications to be quite vague. No "soothsayer" dared to share anything too specific for fear of looking like a fraud, besides as long as they predicted plausible life happenstances and people read their work, the "prophets" earned a paycheck.
By Bryan R..5 years ago in Futurism
The Hornet Spook Light
On almost any evening in the small hamlet of Hornet, MO, curious onlookers, and paranormal investigators can observe the Hornet Spook Light. The light bobs and bounces along a dirt road in northeast Oklahoma, near the town of Quapaw, but since it is most often seen from the east, it has been attached to the tiny village of Hornet, and the larger town of Joplin, MO.
By Bryan R..5 years ago in FYI
Masks on the Continent of Africa
Historians note people have been wearing masks since the early days of mankind’s origins. Some wore them as a disguise; others wore them as a means of identification. In some cultures, funerary masks were worn to honor the dead. Things really have not changed that much. Today, Americans wear masks for a variety of reasons. Masks are found in the theater, on Halloween, and showcased in special events like Mardi Gras. However, when one hears the word ‘mask’ today, it is immediately recognized as the facial covering worn to ward off diseases like Covid-19. That’s understandable when living during a global pandemic. What one might not know, is that there are a variety of African cultures that wear masks as a part of their daily routine, and they have been for centuries.
By Bryan R..5 years ago in Wander