Dennis R. Berry, Writer/Editor

October is finally upon us. Many of us are dreaming of ghouls and goblins, getting geared up for that one night of the year when we can let lose, dress up, and have a bit of fun. Well, not me, really. I don’t do Halloween, honestly. I never have. Maybe when I was a kid, but these days, it just seems silly to me. To me, October is a time of growth. I’ve well on my way with my new life. It’s been over a year, and honestly, I’m doing great. So what, exactly, do I want to accomplish in October? Well, for starters, I want to become more comfortable with my job. I want to get to the point where everything flows smoothly. I want to get my team up-to-par in the stats. And I want to take the lead on the boards. That’s important for me. Not because I want recognition, but because it means I’m doing a good job, my team is learning from me, and we’re beginning to mesh as a unit. That’s what I want. I also want to find my own house. Sure, having roommates has advantages. Plenty of fun and laughter ...

Life has sometimes been likened to an obstacle course. Those who haven’t truly experienced life yet may not really understand this, but when you think about it, it has a lot of truth to it. Life really is an obstacle course, full of pitfalls, traps, and of course, obstacles. Think about it. You’re strolling along, not a care in the world, and then.. here, have a hurdle..JUMP! Whew, you managed to clear that one. But oh, the course is just beginning, isn’t it? No obstacle course would be complete without pits, and traps, and seemingly impossible situations. No obstacle course would be finished without razor wire to crawl under, people dresses as zombies chasing you, or a sense of urgency pressing you forward. You see, life IS an obstacle course. Sure, there may not be actual razor wire. There may not be zombies. But there ARE obstacles. Every one of us has them. In all of our lives are hurdles. Things that we have to face, and overcome. And much like regular obstacle courses, life tends...

One of my biggest pet peeves is all of the bickering and fighting that I see on Facebook on a daily basis. It’s incredible, when you stop to think about it. Right now, one of the biggest “hot buttons” is politics. Trump vs. Hilary vs. Cruz vs. blah blah blah. People are getting quite upset. People are fighting. Memes are flying back and forth. It’s becoming quite the circus. And it’s annoying. Why is it so annoying? Because, frankly, it matters not one bit at the end of the day. Do you honestly think that anything is going to change? Do you honestly think that any of these politicians are actually going to keep their campaign promises and do what they say they’re going to do? In most cases, nope. Not a chance. In others.. Oh boy, I sure hope not. Seriously? Build a wall? What in the world? But I digress. You see, people are getting pissed at each other. People are unfriending people over it. Over what, exactly? Because one person endorses someone that you don’t agree with? Well, suck i...

I pledge allegiance… that’s something we’ve all heard. It’s something we’ve all recited. But mostly we just recite it from memory in front of a classroom or stadium, with no thought to what we’re actually saying. You see, “I pledge allegiance” means that you are swearing (pledging) loyalty (allegiance) to the object, usually the flag of the United States. Which, of course, is all well and good. Except for one thing. Why pledge allegiance to a flag? The flag is the symbol of this country, yes. It is the “Stars and Stripes”, the standard which represents the fight for freedom. Of course it means something. But allegiance? No, not really. I am not loyal to a flag. I am not loyal to a corrupt system of government. I am American. I am not “unpatriotic”. I do not hate my country. But I am also not delusional, either. So, if I don’t pledge allegiance to a piece of cloth, regardless of what it represents, what do I pledge allegiance to? Quite simply, myself. Now, before you start thinking I’m ...

Last week I decided to take a day off work. It was scheduled, it was pre-planned. It wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment thing. I planned to take the day, get some packing done, relax a little bit, and just take some time away from the day-to-day routine. Well, that didn’t quite work out as intended. I ended up having a bad day, and decided to go to work for the last few hours. And what a surprise I had waiting for me. As I parked my truck in the parking lot, waaaaay out in the parking lot, and began my trek toward the building, I took a deep breath. I didn’t really want to be at work, but I needed a distraction. I swipe my badge, the door beeps and unlocks, and I grudgingly pull it open. A quick wave at security saw me through the lobby, and another swipe badge got me into the hallway. As I punched the security code into the door on the supervisor breakroom, I tried to mentally prepare myself for what lay ahead. I wasn’t sure what lay ahead, of course, but at my job, there’s always something....