Category: Life

The heavy sigh

The heavy sigh
Over the last five years, I’ve seen a considerable uptick in breathing exercises. There are more yoga and meditation classes than ever before. We have apps like “Calm” and “Headspace.” Business people are switching from coffee to “30-minutes of breathwork,” followed by a nude cannonball into Lake Michigan. All of this got me thinking: How... Read more »
By Chris O'Brien,
April 13, 2022 at 6:39 am • 

Just a city guy working a farm shift

Just a city guy working a farm shift
Ever have that moment when you wake up, open the laptop, click on Zoom and think to yourself, “Yep. I’m ready to work on a farm.” Now, don’t get me wrong, this forced work-from-home arrangement started out great. No commute. Optional pants. But I feel like I signed a deal with the devil. He sold me... Read more »
By Chris O'Brien,
October 7, 2020 at 7:19 am • 

Welcome to All Grass Farms

Welcome to All Grass Farms
Picture yourself on the Metra train heading south from Barrington into the city. There’s a lady reading the new James Patterson novel. A guy flipping through the Chicago Tribune. Another guy reading, “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” by Michael Pollan. The train pulls into Ogilvie and the three people grab their bags, head to the station. They make... Read more »
By Chris O'Brien,
September 16, 2020 at 6:57 am • 
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A (somewhat) brief history of milk

A (somewhat) brief history of milk
Our church held communion over Zoom. Pastor Joe was on-screen reading the Lord’s Supper. I had the fridge open, looking for some grape juice. I couldn’t go too Catholic with actual wine. And orange juice feels disappointing without pancakes. So I continued scanning the shelves. My eyes finally locked on a mason jar full of raw farm-fresh milk.... Read more »
By Chris O'Brien,
September 1, 2020 at 6:48 am • 

Wait, where did June go?

Wait, where did June go?
In the Midwest, our calendar starts off with an endurance test. January and February combine to be 59 days of grind it out. Just get through it. During this time, we’re naturally looking ahead at the calendar. Crossing days off. March traditionally brings us the first round of excitement. St. Patty’s Day. March Madness. Spring break.... Read more »
By Chris O'Brien,
June 30, 2020 at 7:38 am • 

The wonder of saying yes and letting go (part 4/finale)

The wonder of saying yes and letting go (part 4/finale)
Back in early March, I  don’t know if it was optimism or skepticism, but I was holding onto a ray of hope that Covid-19 would be overhyped. The talk of sheltering at home, self-quarantining, maybe this would last for a couple of weeks, but then everything would blow over. Go back to normal. Note: To catch up on... Read more »
By Chris O'Brien,
June 23, 2020 at 8:23 am • 
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The wonder of saying yes and letting go (Part 3)

My fondest memories of school had nothing to do with class. And my favorite work memories weren’t really about the work. It’s always been about the people and the stories that happened somewhere along the way. And great stories, great memories always start with a yes. Note: For this story, it might be helpful to start with Part 1... Read more »
By Chris O'Brien,
June 16, 2020 at 7:26 am • 

The wonder of saying yes and letting go (part 2)

Samer Asous learned how to make bagels from his dad and uncle. What started out as the family baking for H&H Bagels in Manhattan eventually turned into their own Mom and Pop shop down in Brooklyn. Samer helped his family by learning both the baking and business side of operations. Note – If you’re new to... Read more »
By Chris O'Brien,
June 9, 2020 at 8:08 am • 

The wonder of saying yes and letting go (part 1)

The wonder of saying yes and letting go (part 1)
They say you miss 100 percent of the shots you didn’t take. And that our biggest regrets in life aren’t over the mistakes we made but, instead, the moments when we were too timid. Didn’t take any risks. These chapters were never written because we met life with a fragile No instead of a trusting Yes. And... Read more »
By Chris O'Brien,
June 2, 2020 at 7:45 am • 
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Coach was right all along: Just have fun out there

I’m a Millennial. Grew up right in the heart of the everyone gets a trophy era. In second grade, our basketball league had a 0-0 score policy. Everybody was a winner. But of course that wasn’t actually the case. We demolished our opponents. Our schedule on the fridge had the real scores written next to... Read more »
By Chris O'Brien,
January 27, 2020 at 6:48 am •