The Things We Don’t Know We Miss

Tradition.

According to Webster’s Dictionary, it’s “a system of beliefs or behaviors passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance, originating in the past.”

That’s a nice definition.

But I think tradition is something much simpler.

It’s something you don’t realize you’ve been missing… until you see it.

On July 4, 2025, I stopped by a friend’s house. He was roasting a whole lamb over an open fire. Family and friends filled the backyard. There was food everywhere, conversations in every corner, and laughter that seemed to belong there. It was a great day.

A year later, on July 4, 2026, I found myself back in that same backyard.

This time, I paid attention.

Friends. Aunts. Uncles. Cousins, some who had driven from as far away as the Carolinas. Dogs running through the yard while the adults picked up conversations they’d probably been continuing for decades. Even the early morning ritual of getting the fire started for the lamb had become part of the tradition. It wasn’t just cooking—it was ceremony.

That’s when it hit me. This wasn’t just a cookout. This was family history happening in real time.

It instantly reminded me of my own childhood.

My family had traditions too. Holiday dinners. Summer cookouts. Gatherings where everyone knew where they belonged without anyone having to send out invites.

Somewhere along the way… those traditions faded. People passed away. Others moved. Life happened.

And I couldn’t help asking myself a difficult question. Did I let our traditions disappear too?

Could I have done more to keep everyone together?

I don’t know if there’s an answer to that. Maybe traditions naturally evolve. Maybe they end. Maybe they simply wait for someone willing to start a new one.

As for friends, I found myself wondering something else.

What kind of friend do you have to be before you’re considered part of someone’s tradition?

Not just invited once… But expected every year. The kind of person whose absence would be noticed.

I hope I’m becoming that kind of friend.

Because if there’s one tradition I know I’ll gladly keep, it’s spending every Fourth of July in that backyard with good people, great conversation, unbelievable food, and enough laughter to make you forget about the weather.

Well… almost.

A brief summer rain couldn’t stop America’s 250th birthday celebration.

The rosemary on that clams, however… That almost sent me running.

Maybe I don’t have many traditions of my own anymore. Maybe I don’t even know how to start one.

Life gets busy. Families spread out. Friends juggle careers, kids, and commitments. Building something that lasts year after year feels harder than ever.

But watching someone else’s tradition reminded me that these moments don’t just happen.

Someone decides they’re worth repeating.

Year after year. Until one day, nobody remembers who started it.

They just remember that it’s what the family does.

And maybe that’s the whole point.

So if you’ve got a tradition… a weekly poker night, a monthly dinner, an annual cookout, or some quirky family ritual you’ve kept alive, hold onto it.

You may not realize it, but you’re creating memories that someone else will one day wish they still had.

And if you’re looking for someone to help keep the tradition alive…

Don’t be surprised if I accidentally crash your party.

Drones: When Does Curiosity Become an Invasion?

A few weeks ago, a friend brought his drone to my house so we could inspect the roof and chimney.

Instead of dragging out a 60-foot ladder and risking a trip to the emergency room, we launched the drone, flew it over the house, and within minutes I had exactly what I needed. I was able to confirm that recent work had been completed correctly, all while keeping both feet safely on the ground.

That is technology at its best.

What I also realized is that this inexpensive toy from Amazon, was able to create a view of my neighborhood that I was never able to see before.

Drones have become incredibly popular over the last several years. Kids receive them as birthday and Christmas gifts. Hobbyists spend hours mastering them. Businesses use them for photography, inspections, real estate, agriculture, search and rescue, and countless other practical applications.

There is no denying that drones can be an incredible tool.

But like many advances in technology, the question isn’t whether they can do amazing things.

The question is: When do they cross the line?

Now that I’ve actually heard what a drone sounds like, I’ve started noticing one flying around my neighborhood on a regular basis.

From what I can tell, the operator is simply enjoying the hobby. The drone zips around at high speed, circles the area, and disappears before returning another day. Maybe they’re practicing. Maybe they’re filming scenic shots. Maybe they’re just having fun.

But here’s the problem.

Whether intentional or not, that drone is also looking into places that once felt private.

Every backyard it passes over… Every family barbecue… Every child playing outside… Every quiet evening spent on the patio…

The drone may not be there to spy, but it still has a camera. It may be recording. It may not. The point is, nobody on the ground knows.

That uncertainty changes how people feel in their own homes.

Imagine someone standing on the sidewalk with a pair of binoculars pointed toward your backyard. They might insist they’re only looking at the trees or watching birds. Even if that’s true, it wouldn’t exactly make you comfortable.

A drone creates that same feeling.

Legally, there isn’t much homeowners can do in many situations. The skies above us are governed differently than our property, and while there are regulations about where drones can fly, there are far fewer rules that address the everyday concerns of privacy.

So we’re left with something the law can’t easily solve.

Courtesy. Just because technology allows us to do something doesn’t always mean we should.

A responsible drone pilot can enjoy the hobby without hovering over someone’s backyard. They can capture incredible footage without making their neighbors wonder whether they’re being filmed.

Good technology deserves good judgment. I’m not against drones.

In fact, one probably saved me from climbing a 60-foot ladder.

But technology should improve our lives, not quietly chip away at the expectation that when we’re relaxing in our own backyard, we’re actually alone.

Maybe the real issue isn’t drones.

Maybe it’s whether our respect for one another has kept pace with the technology we now hold in our hands.

The Great English Heist: Who Stole “A” and “The”?

I have a question… When did we collectively decide that articles were optional?

You know… those tiny little words we all learned somewhere around kindergarten. The ones that make sentences actually work…

A. An. The.

They’re not decorative. They’re not seasonal. They’re not ingredients you can leave out and expect the recipe to taste the same.

They’re part of the language.

Yet every day, I hear conversations that sound like someone is trying to beat a world record for using the fewest possible words.

“Was it large dog?”

No.

Was it A large dog?

“Need manager.”

You need THE manager.

“Going store.”

You’re going TO THE store.

“Found phone.”

Whose phone? A phone? THE phone? Batman’s phone? Give me something to work with here.

Honestly, I feel like I’m watching a police investigation into the disappearance of the English language.

Grammar Crime Scene

Victims:

Status:
Missing under suspicious circumstances.

Last Seen:
Third grade.

Primary Suspects:

Text messaging
Social media
Voice-to-text
General laziness
People who think speaking fewer words somehow makes them more efficient

Evidence has been collected.

Exhibit A:

“Need menu.”

No…

You need a menu.

Exhibit B:

“Where bathroom?”

Hopefully farther away than your English teacher.

Exhibit C:

“Was big dog.”

Again…

Was it a big dog?

Or was it the big dog?

There is a difference!

At this point I’m convinced these words didn’t disappear…

They escaped.

They’re hiding somewhere with proper punctuation, complete sentences, and the Oxford comma, living peacefully until civilization is ready for them again.

Now before someone says, “Language evolves…”

Sure. It does. But evolution usually makes things better.

This feels more like we accidentally left three important words in the shopping cart and drove home.

And don’t get me started on people who leave out half a sentence and expect everyone else to assemble it like IKEA furniture.

Communication isn’t a scavenger hunt.

Look, nobody speaks perfectly all the time. I certainly don’t. We all use slang. We all shorten things when we’re talking fast.

But somewhere along the line, we’ve gone from casual conversation to sounding like bargain-bin cavemen.

“Need food.”

“Car broke.”

“Seen movie.”

What’s next?

“Fire… bad.”

If you’re wondering why your old English teacher retired early…

This. This is why.

So here’s my public service announcement. The next time you’re about to say,

“Was it large dog?” Take one extra second. Rescue one tiny word. Give “a” a home. Give “the” a purpose.

They’re small. They don’t ask for much. And they’ve been missing long enough.

Pet Peeve of the Week: The Indecisive Drinker

I’ve been behind a bar for a lot of years, and I honestly don’t remember this being a thing back in the day.

People walked in, sat down, and when I asked, “What can I get you?” they actually… knew.

Fast forward twenty or thirty years, and it’s like grown adults suddenly lose all decision-making ability the second they walk through the front door of a restaurant.

The conversation usually goes something like this:

Server: “What are you drinking?”

Customer:

“Uhhh… I don’t know. What did I have last time?”
“Just pick something for me.”
“I’ll take any IPA… well, not that one… or that one… definitely not that one…”

At that point, congratulations. Here’s a water. You’ve temporarily lost your alcohol privileges.

Seriously… where did we go wrong as a society?

The same guy who buys a case of Miller Lite every single Sunday for the backyard barbecue suddenly acts like he’s taking the SAT when he’s staring at 44 draft handles.

You know exactly what you drink at home.

You know exactly whats in the cooler every time you’re camping.

You know exactly what you’re grabbing from during football season.

So why does walking into a restaurant suddenly turn ordering a beer into an existential crisis?

Here’s a little free advice from your neighborhood bartender:

Stay in your lane.

If you’re a Miller Lite drinker, order a Miller Lite.

If you always drink Yuengling, order a Yuengling.

If your idea of “trying something new” requires a 15-minute interview with the bartender, a tasting flight, and three rounds of questions about citrus notes… maybe today’s just not the day.

Trust me, your bartender has enough to juggle without becoming your life coach, beer therapist, and personal sommelier.

Life gets a whole lot easier when you already know what you want.

And your bartender?

They’ll probably like you a little more.

Cheers.

Who Are We Supposed to Believe?

Turn on the news. Open social media. Spend thirty seconds scrolling.

You’ll find dozens of opinions, hundreds of accusations, and thousands of people claiming they know exactly what’s happening.

The problem? Half of them can’t possibly be right. The bigger problem? Most of us no longer know who to believe.

Take the current conflict with Iran. One day we’re told the situation is under control. The next day reports suggest additional strikes, retaliation, and escalating tensions. One source says a shipping route is open. Another says it’s effectively closed. Political leaders make statements that seem to contradict reports coming from their own administration.

Who’s right? More importantly, who is responsible for making sure the public gets the truth?

It shouldn’t be this difficult. The same questions exist much closer to home.

Look at the Market Street Bridge connecting West Virginia and Ohio.

For months we’ve heard every possible version of the story. There won’t be a replacement bridge. Funding has been secured. Plans are moving forward. Construction is going to happen.

Yet from where most citizens stand, little appears to be happening.

Maybe there are legitimate reasons for the delays. Maybe funding is still being finalized. Maybe there are engineering or environmental hurdles the public doesn’t see.

But when communication is inconsistent, people naturally begin asking questions. And they should.

The role of government isn’t simply to govern. The role of government is to maintain public confidence through transparency, accountability, and honesty.

The role of the media isn’t to win arguments. It’s to inform.

Somewhere along the way, both seem to have forgotten that.

Today, every issue becomes a political battle. Every story becomes a contest between competing narratives. Every statement is immediately challenged by someone claiming the exact opposite.

Instead of seeking facts, we seek confirmation. Instead of reporting news, many outlets report opinions.

Instead of answering questions, officials often release carefully crafted statements designed to avoid them.

The result is a public that trusts almost nobody. That should concern everyone.

Whether you’re Republican, Democrat, Independent, or completely fed up with all of them, trust is the foundation of every successful society.

Without trust, every announcement is questioned. Every project is doubted. Every decision is viewed through a lens of suspicion.

When citizens stop believing their leaders and stop believing the people reporting on those leaders, something important has been lost.

The question isn’t whether politicians stretch the truth. The question isn’t whether media organizations have biases.

Most people already know those things.

The question is whether there are still enough people in positions of influence willing to ask hard questions, demand real answers, and tell the public the truth even when it’s inconvenient.

Because right now, it feels like everyone is busy arguing with each other while ordinary people are simply trying to figure out what’s real.

And honestly? That may be the most troubling story of all.

The Ones We Carry

It’s a beautiful Sunday

The sun is shining. The sky is clear. People are out mowing grass, riding bikes, grilling burgers, and enjoying another summer day.

From the outside, everything seems perfect.

But it’s not. Today, for no particular reason at all, I found myself thinking about loss.

Not because of an anniversary.
Not because of a birthday.
Not because of some tragic reminder.

Just because sometimes our minds wander to the people we miss.

Loss is something every single one of us understands. It doesn’t care who you are, where you’re from, or what you believe. Sooner or later, life introduces us to the painful reality that some of the people we love won’t be here forever.

Many of you know that I lost my best friend, Mikey, to suicide.

Not a day goes by that I don’t think about him.

So much has happened since he left. Good things. Bad things. Life things.

And every once in a while, I catch myself wishing I could pick up the phone and tell him about all of it.

Then reality reminds me that I can’t.

My uncle was taken from us far too soon as well. COVID was simply too much for him to overcome. We lost a great man, a great friend, a great father, and a great husband.

I still miss him all the time.

And more recently, another friend left us before his time.

I’ll forever miss Anthony’s late-night texts asking if he could still sneak in for a burger and a drink.

Those little moments become the things you miss most.

Not the grand events. The ordinary moments.

The conversations.
The jokes.
The random texts.
The familiar voices.

People often say we need to “deal with” loss.

I don’t think that’s true. I think we live with it. We carry it.

Some days it’s barely noticeable. Other days it sits beside us and reminds us of everyone who helped shape our lives.

But we don’t dwell there. At least I don’t.

Because the people we’ve lost wouldn’t want us sitting in a corner, trapped in sadness.

They’d want us living. Laughing. Making memories. Telling stories.

Continuing the journey they no longer get to take.

So that’s what I try to do. I live the best life I can for the people who no longer have that opportunity.

Today, as I think about Mikey, my uncle John, Anthony, and everyone else I’ve lost along the way, I’m reminded that grief is really just love with nowhere to go.

And maybe that’s why they never truly leave us. They’re still here.

In the stories we tell.
In the lessons they taught us.
In the habits we picked up from them.
In the memories that appear when we least expect them.

They’re the ones we carry.

Today, this song is for all of them.

And for everyone reading this who still reaches for a phone that will never ring, still hears a voice that is no longer there, or still thinks about someone they wish they had one more day with.

You’re not alone. We all carry someone. And we always will.

O.A.R. Miss You All The Time

You know that I don’t like to say goodbye
I didn’t know that we were out of time
I’m sorry that I couldn’t save your life
So I walk, yeah I walk
I go to pick the phone up every day
And imagine conversations we would say
But I’m always hanging up the same way
And I walk, yeah, I walk

In the house where the heart don’t cry
Dancing in a silver light
And I’m dreaming of you tonight
I miss you all the time
All the stars are calling out your name
Ever since you went away
There’s no sleeping you off my mind
I miss you all the time

I miss you all the time

I know that you were only passing through
In a moment you were lighting up the room
Oh, there’ll never be another like you
So I walk, yeah I walk
And I try to keep my eyes up on the road
And remember all the stories that you told
Oh, I’m sorry that you’ll never grow old
So I walk, yeah, I walk

In the house where the heart don’t cry
You’re dancing in a silver light
And I’m dreaming of you tonight
I miss you all the time
All the stars are calling out your name
Ever since you went away
There’s no sleeping you off my mind
I miss you all the time, yeah

I miss you all the time

I miss you
I miss you
I miss you all the time

In the house where the heart don’t cry (don’t cry)
Dancing in the silver light (In a silver light)
And I’m dreaming of you tonight
I miss you all the time
All the stars are calling out your name (your name)
Ever since you went away
There’s no sleeping you off my mind
I miss you all the time
Oh, I miss you all the time
Yeah, I miss you all the time

https://youtube.com/watch?v=3JKhq77ynnk&is=uudBrPaCDkceyArC

The Legend of New Trail Brewing

Fun With Beer Names

It started on a cool morning known only as Flannel Weather.

A wanderer called Rambler set out along an old Foot Path, hoping to reach the distant Creek Bend before sunset. The locals warned him that strange things happened there, especially after a Rained Out summer when the waters ran high and the fish grew mean.

Sure enough, as Rambler crossed a shallow stream near Creek Bend, he was Trout Bitten by a fish with an attitude problem and apparently no respect for trespassers.

Limping along and muttering insults at wildlife, he found an old Hammock strung between two trees. Exhausted, he climbed in and drifted to sleep.

That night he dreamed he had been Selected for a mission unlike any other.

In the dream, he stood on the Proving Grounds, where adventurers competed for the chance to travel beyond the stars. After surviving flying trout, collapsing footpaths, and an obstacle course made entirely of hammocks, Rambler earned his place aboard the legendary 8th Orbit.

The ship launched into the darkness, circling distant worlds where rivers bent like Creek Bend, rain fell sideways, and giant trout ruled entire galaxies.

When Rambler awoke the next morning, he laughed at the absurdity of it all.

Then he looked down.

There, on his ankle, was a fresh fish bite.

And hanging from a nearby branch was a small metal tag stamped with two words:

8th Orbit.

Nobody ever believed his story.

But every year, when Flannel Weather returns, Rambler heads back to Creek Bend, follows the old Foot Path, and waits in that same Hammock at the Proving Grounds—just in case he’s Selected again.

“Community Standards” for Some, Restrictions for Others

How Social Media Is Quietly Silencing Small Business

There was a time when social media felt like the great equalizer. A small-town restaurant could compete with a national chain. A local sporting goods store could showcase products to thousands of potential customers. A gun shop, bakery, hardware store, or family-owned business could build a following without needing a million-dollar advertising budget.

Social media gave the little guy a voice. Today, that voice is getting quieter.

As a small business owner, I’ve watched Facebook become increasingly aggressive with content moderation, post removals, recommendation restrictions, and algorithm changes. What frustrates me isn’t the existence of “community standards”. Every platform needs rules. What frustrates me is the appearance that those rules are applied very differently depending on who you are.

Recently, I’ve had posts flagged or removed that most reasonable people would consider harmless. A picture of a draft beer celebrating the weekend? Flagged and Removed! A post promoting products for my firearm business? Flagged and Removed!

Content intended for existing customers, posted by legitimate businesses, suddenly gets treated as if it’s violating some invisible rulebook. Meanwhile, major corporations seem to operate under a different set of circumstances.

Large beer brands flood social media with images of cans, bottles, and promotional campaigns. Major firearm manufacturers showcase products, announce releases, and post professional photography of their firearms.

Their content remains visible. Their reach continues. Their pages thrive.

Small businesses are left asking a simple question: Why? And Facebook is not here to assist or answer questions regarding post removal.

Maybe the answer is better compliance teams. Maybe it’s advertising dollars. Maybe it’s account history. Maybe it’s automated systems making mistakes. Whatever the reason, the outcome is the same.

The small business owner gets penalized while the corporate giant moves forward uninterrupted. And that’s where the real problem begins.

For many local businesses, social media isn’t optional anymore. It’s the modern version of a newspaper ad, a radio commercial, or a billboard along the highway. It has become one of the primary ways businesses communicate with customers.

When platforms remove content, suppress visibility, or limit recommendations, they aren’t simply moderating a post. They are affecting a business’s ability to reach customers.

For large corporations, losing one social media post is a rounding error. For a small business, it can mean fewer customers walking through the door.

The technology that was supposed to level the playing field is increasingly tilting it.

The irony is hard to ignore. The same platforms that claim to support small businesses often create systems that are easiest for large corporations to navigate. Big companies have legal departments, marketing teams, compliance experts, and dedicated representatives. Small businesses have owners working sixty-hour weeks trying to keep the lights on.

They don’t have a department to appeal automated decisions. They have themselves. The digital economy promised opportunity. What many small business owners are experiencing instead is uncertainty.

Posts disappear. Reach collapses. Recommendations vanish. Appeals go unanswered. And nobody can explain why.

The issue isn’t whether content should be moderated. The issue is transparency. If a rule exists, businesses should know what it is. If a post violates a standard, businesses should be told specifically why. If an automated system makes a mistake, there should be a meaningful path to correction.

Most small business owners aren’t asking for special treatment. They’re asking for equal treatment. They’re asking for consistency. They’re asking for a fair opportunity to communicate with the customers they’ve spent years earning.

The digital town square shouldn’t belong only to the biggest voices. It should belong to everyone.

What Makes a Great Employee?

Since I was about fifteen years old, I’ve been an employee somewhere. Every job taught me something, but the biggest lesson wasn’t how to flip burgers, stock shelves, or answer calls.

It was how to work.

More importantly, it was how to be a teammate.

I was taught two simple rules early on:

Never let your boss catch you standing around.
Never let your boss do your work.

Those two lessons have stayed with me for decades.

To me, a great employee isn’t the loudest person in the room or the one constantly reminding everyone how hard they work. A great employee shows up on time. They don’t spend their shift complaining. They’re confident in their abilities but humble enough to keep learning. They finish the job correctly the first time because doing it right matters.

And when the shift is over?

They don’t sprint for the door while someone else is drowning.

They stay. They help.

Because they understand something that too many people have forgotten: when one teammate struggles, the whole team struggles.

The best employees don’t need to be told what to do next. They always find something productive. They take pride in their work, no matter how small the task. They don’t participate in workplace gossip, and they certainly don’t become the source of the drama.

Work isn’t high school. It’s a team sport.

For years, I was the employee. Today, I’m the boss. Ironically, I still think I was a better employee than I am a boss.

When I watch everyone clock out and one employee is left buried with dishes, cleaning, or closing duties, I don’t stand back and supervise.

I grab a towel. I pick up a mop. I jump in.

Because that’s what teammates do.

Titles don’t make people leaders. Actions do.

Someday, every employee gets a reputation. Some become the person management worries about every time they’re scheduled. Others become the person everyone hopes is working because they know the job will get done.

Which one are you becoming?

The wake-up call may never come for some people. But if it does, don’t waste it. Be the employee your coworkers are thankful to work beside.

Be the employee your manager can count on without a second thought.

Be the kind of worker a company is proud to have. Because people may forget what job you had…

But they’ll never forget what kind of teammate you were.

The White House Is Not a Theme Park

There was a time when the White House represented something.

It wasn’t about Republicans or Democrats. It wasn’t about who won the last election or who was running in the next one. It represented the highest office in the country and, whether you agreed with the person occupying it or not, there was a certain level of dignity attached to it.

Today? We’re talking about UFC fights on the White House lawn.

Dirt bikes doing jumps and tricks on the property. Professional fighters being showcased as part of White House events. Government officials discussing UFC training partnerships as if they just discovered martial arts exists.

At some point, someone needs to ask a simple question:

What exactly are we doing here?

The White House has hosted kings, queens, presidents, prime ministers, military leaders, and historic diplomatic events. It has served as the backdrop for some of the most important moments in American history. Now it feels like we’re one step away from monster trucks jumping over national monuments while someone sells commemorative t-shirts in the Rose Garden.

Before anyone starts screaming that this is an attack on UFC, dirt bikes, or motorsports, let’s get something straight.

It isn’t. I don’t mind the UFC and understand many love to watch the sport. I respect the athletes. I think freestyle motocross riders are incredibly talented. This isn’t about the activities themselves. It’s about the location. It’s about the image. And it’s about understanding that some places should still mean something.

When the White House starts looking more like an entertainment venue than the center of American government, we’ve lost sight of the difference between leadership and publicity. What’s next? Clowns selling cotton candy at the front gate?

The explanation, of course, is always the same. “It’s good publicity.” “It connects with people.” “It shows a different side of government.”

Maybe. Or maybe government has become addicted to attention.

Every week there seems to be another headline designed not to solve a problem, but to generate clicks, views, shares, and social media reactions. Christ, you can’t even get on social media anymore without scrolling through hours of arguing over what nonsense our government is doing. What they are not doing, is governing!

The economy struggles. Americans worry about inflation. Cities fight crime. Families struggle with housing costs. Small businesses battle rising expenses. Yet somehow we keep finding time for publicity stunts.

And yes, that’s exactly what they are. Publicity stunts.

The White House is not a sports arena. The White House is not a motocross park. The White House is not a reality television set. It is supposed to represent the United States of America.

For generations, Americans were taught that leadership came with responsibility, professionalism, and setting an example for the world. Just watch a senate hearing and professionalism has been tossed in the trash!

Today it often feels like we’re competing for ratings. The most disappointing part isn’t that these events are happening. The disappointing part is how many people no longer see anything wrong with it.

We’ve become so accustomed to politics becoming entertainment that an octagon on White House grounds barely raises an eyebrow anymore. That should concern all of us. Because when government starts behaving like entertainment, eventually governing becomes secondary to putting on the next show.

America became a great nation through innovation, hard work, sacrifice, and leadership. Not because we could host a fight card or a motocross exhibition on the front lawn.

Call me old-fashioned, but I’d rather see the White House making headlines for solving problems than hosting spectacles. Some places should still command respect.

The White House is one of them.