All articles filed in Reflection

I was once a freelance writer for the music magazine Goldmine, and in 1997 I was blessed to have my first-ever cover story published with that magazine. It took a lot of arranging and management on my part, for sure. But I made it happen. The Goldmine cover story … was a profile of the…

It’s a beautiful Sunday morning, let’s check the emails, see if there’s anything of interest … advertisement … advertisement … solicitation … someone contacting me through the blog … hey wait a second… I received a “Contact Chuck Miller” from someone from way in my past. And this person referenced things in her letter to…

My Aunt Elaine has operated an antiques barn in New Hampshire for nearly five decades. It was tucked into the winding roads of Wolfeboro, in a rustic barn that doesn’t even show up properly on a GPS. Basically, you follow Route 109A until the urge to buy something unique hits you – then look to…

This Memorial Day, in addition to the usual tradition of outdoor cookouts and gatherings, as well as parades and celebrations, please take a moment to remember the following who won’t be home to celebrate Memorial Day with their families. Aaron Salter, 55. Celestine Chaney, 65. Roberta A. Drury, 32. Andre Mackniel, 53. Katherine Massey, 72.…

I’m looking up at the sky.  How many stars can I see in the night?  Dozens?  Hundreds?  A thousand upon a thousand? And if every star in the sky were the dim tears of an angel’s cries… the thought that another young soul would lose their only chance to live a full and complete life,…

52 years ago. 52 years and it still catches me every time. On February 20, 1970, I lost my three-year-old baby brother Allen in a single-car crash in Rensselaer County. I blogged about it twelve years ago, and eleven years ago I blogged about providing the proper respect. I’m not going to lie. In an…

I need to tell you this story. It’s all true. And nearly 45 years after it happened, it still hurts inside. As many blog readers know, I had a very difficult childhood. The home life was tough, and classmates in the South Colonie School District (otherwise known as Schools 7, 9 and 10 of The…

Preparations are set. My 2013 Chevrolet Cruze “Dracourage” is filled with a full tank of gas. My satellite radio station is cued up to SiriusXM’s “Holly” channel, so I can stream tons of holiday music on my travels. I’ve got my Equinox baseball cap, and a fresh clean face mask for COVID-19 safety. Oh, and…

It’s Thursday morning, and for some reason, I woke up at 2:00 a.m. and couldn’t get back to sleep. I think it’s another round of stress-induced insomnia. For me, insomnia happens when I’m over-anticipating something, or a personal event has me all twisted up in angst. Then, in the middle of the night, I’m awake,…