Village Life: Let’s get to important things, again
By Kate Stockrahm In the first ever issue of East Village Magazine on July 3, 1976, our late founder Gary Custer got straight to the point. “It’s customary for a new publication to justify its existence by running a long list of idealistic goals in its premier issue,” he wrote. “We’ll pass up that tradition.” In that early editorial, entitled “Let’s get to important things,” Custer said EVM wouldn’t waste precious space on expounding...
Village Life: If a mouse could take a shower, what does a naked guy do?
By Tom Travis Both the mouse and I were upset with the positions we found ourselves in. I flipped on the light inside my shower and turned the water on as I’ve done every morning. But this morning a mouse scampered across the bottom of my tub/shower. It was clawing desperately to get out of the tub. I jumped back with a startled scream. It turned and looked at me, I stared at the mouse. I could see his little mouse heart beating...
My bug splattered windshield was a metaphor for life that can be tough
By Tom Travis It was one of the first warm summer weekends. The bugs were all abuzz as I zoomed down I-69 on my 500-mile trip to southern Indiana for my youngest son’s high school graduation. Along the way, my car window got splattered with bugs. I’m usually kind of nuts about having a clean windshield. During the summer I grab the squeegee every time I stop for gas and give my front window a once over. I don’t know why I’m so...
Village Life: Flint’s “coney culture” fed us, brought us together, inspired art, music, literature, poetry — and even some brawls, presenters declare
By Jan Worth-Nelson One thing was clear as a sell-out crowd lined up for their food Saturday in a big meeting room at — where else — Koegel Meats, the origin and home of the legendary frankfurter. The coney is more than a hot dog. The “Salute to Flint’s Coney Culture” sponsored by the Genesee County Historical Society, started with a simple formula: volunteers doling out a well-grilled dog slipped into...
Village Life: A comfy leather couch, a wide bay window and spilling my guts
By Tom Travis Twice a month I drive 20 minutes to sit on a long leather couch, long enough for about five people. From that couch I look out a big bay window and I spill my guts. Or, as my therapist says, to get “psychoanalyzed.” I tend to be very private and have found it difficult to share with friends when I’m struggling. Over the years I’ve seen about four or five different therapists, counselors or...
Village Life: “Where am I from?” or “Who are my people?” are questions worth exploring
By Tom Travis I’m writing this on the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion into Ukraine. Soon after Putin’s unprovoked invasion last year I reached out to some local Ukrainians for their reactions. I soon found out they all wanted to talk. They all wanted to share their unique stories and emotions about the impending doom of their beloved Ukraine. There was a deep emotional tie that emerged as I interviewed local...
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