Parenting Hurts So Good
I always underestimated the challenges of parenting. I thought that the moans and groans of parents were highly exaggerated. The baby sleeps, eats, poops – end of story, right?
Wrong. The baby grows up, gains independence and strength, and ultimately begins to talk, socialize, and test boundaries.
Parenting is hard and even more so, parenting hurts. Read more »
Celebrating Neighbors: Scout Leader Extraordinaire
Published in the 9/23/09 issue of the Suburban Journals
Part of the “Celebrate Your Neighbor” Award Series
Scout Leader Extraordinaire
Although Steve Loos leads the Cub Scout oath each week with “On my honor, I will do my best,” he’s rarely one to ask for an honor. Loos, Cub Master for Pack 91 in Troy, has earned the recognition for his years of service to both the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, according to fellow den leader Ernie Cristobal.
He is the heart and pulse that keeps Pack 91 going,” Cristobal said in his letter nominating Loos for the Suburban Journals Celebrate Your Neighbor Award. Read more »
Celebrating Neighbors: A Believer in Involvement
Published in the 9/23/09 issue of the Suburban Journals
Part of the “Celebrate Your Neighbor” Award Series
A Believer in Involvement
Richard “R.J.” and Russell Krause know the meaning of victory. They’ve coached teams to victory on the court and watched victory from the sidelines at local sporting events. But according to the brothers, the real victory is in the smiles of the thousands of children in the East St. Louis and Washington Park communities that they have mentored for more than 40 years. Read more »
If You Love Someone, Let Them Go
I’ve always heard that if you love someone you should let them go. Personally, I struggle with letting go. As much as I know that change is a powerful, necessary force in life, I still resist it, fight it, and dread it. As much as I’ve been dreading today, I never realized how much it would hurt to let go of my baby sister.
Although Molly has been a jet setter from day one, she always seemed to be within reach. We rarely saw her when she lived nearby, but she was there when it mattered and we knew that she was within reach. When she moved as far as Hawaii, she was still within the country. Today, she boarded a plane for Germany. As far as I want to reach out my hand, she’s just too far away to take it now. Read more »
From Blue Collar Life to Police Brass
Published in the 9/30/09 print issue of the Suburban Journals/Collinsville Herald
From blue collar life to police brass
Collinsville assistant chief takes long route to front office
Tom Coppotelli describes his childhood in Washington Park as something straight out of “Leave it to Beaver,” complete with days playing ball on dusty baseball diamonds, roaming the streets with friends and hurrying home for dinner with his dad who worked on the railroad.
Back then, it seemed he was destined to follow in his father’s footsteps into a blue collar life. Read more »
My Dog is a Tween
We all go through defiant phases in our lives – the terrible twos, the child/adolescent tween years, the roll-your-eyes-at-everything teen stage, and then adulthood, the stage with more categories I can name in one blog post.
This week, I’ve realized that dogs go through many of these same phases and I’ve determined that my dog is officially a tween.
I’ve spent the last few weeks reading through a few books about tweens (Talking to Tweens and The Tween Years), primarily for an article I’m writing but also because I have an 11-year old daughter. What has surprised me the most is that there are some very real behavioral similarities between my 11-year old daughter and my two-year old dog. Read more »
Celebrating Neighbors: A Caring Group of Fire Fighters
Published in the 9/16/09 issue of the Suburban Journals
Part of the “Celebrate Your Neighbor” Award Series
A Caring Group of Fire Fighters
They volunteer to risk their lives to save others. They spring out of bed in the middle of the night to fight fires. They host fundraisers and assist the neighboring areas of Columbia. The selfless acts of the Columbia Volunteer Fire Department are what prompted Gloria Jahr to nominate the entire team of fire fighters for the Suburban Journals Celebrate Your Neighbor Award. Read more »
I’m Late, I’m Late, For a Very Important Date
A few years back, I was reading through an interpersonal communications textbook and was shocked to learn that many psychologists claim that people who are chronically late are purposely late to gain attention. It was classified as a “diva” trait, to say the least.
While I’m sure there is some “scientific study” that supports this theory, I don’t buy it. Read more »
Is Bigger Better? Not if You Give a Damn
My son is a huge fan of Legos and spends days on end building high-tech airplanes, robotic creatures, and sky scrapers. He never gets tired of building, but he gets frustrated when he struggles to top his previous creation with something bigger and better.
Apparently, in his mind, bigger is better.
The more extravagant the construction, the more pleased he is with himself. For example, today’s creation was a two-story Lego mansion equipped with a big screen TV. Read more »
Finding a good cause in unwanted luggage
Published in the 9/20/09 issue of the Suburban Journals/Collinsville Herald
Finding a good cause in unwanted luggage
Community group collects suitcases for foster kids
When people see him coming up the driveway at local garage sales, they usually send George Schneider away packing.
Schneider, president of the Collinsville Noon Lion’s Club, spends his Friday and Saturday mornings at area yard and rummage sales collecting suitcases for foster children. Read more »
About Me
Three words to describe me? Passionate. Motivated. Curious. These traits help me as a college media adviser and instructor, freelance writer, and mom. From student journalism and higher education to parenting and freelance writing, this site, focused on writing, reflecting and teaching, offers a mix of blogs with a hint of humor, sarcasm, and inspiration, as well as my published stories on just about every possible topic.
Feel free to browse my sample works including feature news, magazine, and web copywriting pieces from the past and present. Check back often for daily updates, blog entries, and additional stories. Feel free to contact me directly at shphilpott@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter. Comments are welcome!
