Buckeye Mike

I have a lot going on in life right now. Between having three kids now in 3 different schools with different start and finish times, freshman football that seems to dominate life, new projects at work all over the state from Mansfield to West Portsmouth, the family reunion this weekend, etc, it seems just having to time stop for dinner has become something of a luxury recently. So when a friend suggested that Ralph and I feed our creative juices by visiting a warehouse in Columbus, I once again found myself trying to fit something else into my already hectic schedule. But, I figured a quick and easy 30 minutes would keep my brother and I pushing in the right direction, even amid the chaos of life. At 5:30 last evening we arrived at this facility on the east side. Fenced in like Fort Knox, we rang the bell at the security gate and were let in by an employee leaving for the day. We went around to the front of this seemingly deserted complex and found the front door. We walked in and wa...

You know, it’s funny, I stood in my kitchen Monday morning and wished John-Michael a happy birthday as he looked me in the eye. And I thought to myself “when the heck did that happen?” Feels like yesterday he was born, now he is 15. I remember holding him for the first time and thinking how it is my job to teach him to be a man of integrity, a man of honor, a man named Slusher. I have tried to do that every day of his life and don’t believe I will ever stop instilling these values into him.  Being Slusher means never giving less than 100%. It means always being honest, even when that truth hurts more than a lie would. It mean always doing the right thing, even when no one is around to pat you on the back. It mean his mother, future wife, and future daughters never see a violent act from him, and that he approaches any person or situation with a level head, soft hands, and an understanding heart. And it means learning from every mistake, winning more than you lose, and alway...

As a kid growing up, I remember very cool day trips we had with my mother. From the Serpent Mound to the Loveland Castle to the park with the curvy slide in Wilmington, it seemed like Mom never missed a chance to make a new, lasting memory on my siblings and I. As a Dad, I want my boys to experience the same things. So we take them on these small adventures, hoping that they will turn into lifelong memories as well. Saturday we got up and packed the car for the latest in these fun excursions. We headed towards the Hocking Hills area of our state, on a mission to find a haunted tunnel near Hope Lake. We drove down miles and miles of windy roads, turned off onto a one lane path that turned into a gravel trail before it stopped just short of an old rusty bridge. According to the information we had, the tunnel was back in the woods off the broken trails near this creek. We started out, with me leading the way and Tiffany and her walking stick following the boys through mud holes, narrow ...

They say that every parent hopes their kid has a child just like the one they raised. And from what I remember about my childhood, my Mom probably wished that wish every day of her life after I came along. I was a Noxema eating, standing on the table at Burger King singing the McDonalds song, asking if the Gas Station man wanted to be my new Daddy, falling out of the shopping cart and busting my head open kind of kid. Mom had quite an adventure trying to raise me, and I am glad that for the most part my boys have not given me the same experience. Sure JM broke his arm last summer, but overall we have had a very uneventful few years. I was surprised, then, when I answered my phone shortly after 5 last night. John-Michael had been at football practice and should have been home. Instead, he said "Dad, I got hit by a car and am at the Gahanna Police Station." I was out the door in a flash and got to him in less than 8 minutes. I realized that he was not seriously hurt when I ...

 Life's about changing, nothing ever stays the same. Those lyrics to an old Patty Loveless song can certainly be applied to just about anyone. Think about your life 5 years ago. Is it the same as today? Are you where you thought you would be? And how have you handled the curveballs thrown to you in that time. A swing and miss? Or knocking it out of the park? It has been nearly two months since I sat down to pen a new entry into this journal of life I like to share with you. A lot has happened and, as has been the case before, I learned and pushed forward. I have had my professional credentials questioned and was told that nothing I had ever done in my career means a thing now. Ouch, that hurt. And it really was not an accurate portrayal of the situation at hand. But that is ok. I dissected the things that were said and re-evaluated my priorities. I took the insults, fed them to my ego, and am currently using them for fuel, propelling me to where I want to be instead of where I ha...