Rick Ryckeley

United States

Columnist at The Citizen

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Articles

No More Bags? | The Citizen

1 week ago | thecitizen.com | Rick Ryckeley

‘Tis time once again to venture down to the dark, `basement, fight off the ever-growing horde of spider crickets, retrieve the soapbox, and stand upon it pontificating. And what’s got my shorts in a bunch this time, you may ask? Buckle-up, Dear Reader. This is gonna be one wild ride. “To bag or not to bag?” That used to be the question, but not anymore. Growing up on that old familiar street not so far away called Flamingo, we five kids joined Mom grocery shopping every Saturday morning.
The Neighborhood Sandbox

2 weeks ago | thecitizen.com | Rick Ryckeley

They say that nothing in this world is free, but I believe I have finally found something that is. Tucked away underneath the shading canopy of overhanging branches alongside a long stretch of country road, there is a special place where kids can go to just be kids. Tucked into the edge of a forest’s wood line, it’s an unassuming place, and all who visit hope to keep it that way. That’s why its exact location will not be disclosed in this column.
Parents Need to Know

3 weeks ago | thecitizen.com | Rick Ryckeley |Neil Sullivan

Want to get the undivided attention of both the principal and assistant principal of an elementary school? I know just the way to do it. Before the school day starts, walk into their office and announce, “Just to give y’all a heads up. My next column for the newspaper is gonna be all about this school’s response to the tornado last week – from my point of view, of course.” I did this recently, and the assistant principal immediately stopped typing on her computer and gave me an inquisitive look.
Three Happy Marriage Rules

1 month ago | dev.thecitizen.com | Rick Ryckeley

Come this July, The Wife and I will celebrate our 26th wedding anniversary, and many people ask me for the secret to such a long relationship. For all the menfolk out there, to have a happy marriage you need to follow three simple rules – two of which I broke last week. So, what could be so important, so dire, to cause me to break the happy marriage rules? Perhaps the two most dreaded “P” words ever to be placed in the same sentence – two words that should never be used together.
Three Happy Marriage Rules

1 month ago | thecitizen.com | Rick Ryckeley

Come this July, The Wife and I will celebrate our 26th wedding anniversary, and many people ask me for the secret to such a long relationship. For all the menfolk out there, to have a happy marriage you need to follow three simple rules – two of which I broke last week. So, what could be so important, so dire, to cause me to break the happy marriage rules? Perhaps the two most dreaded “P” words ever to be placed in the same sentence – two words that should never be used together.
Those Four Letter Words

1 month ago | thecitizen.com | Rick Ryckeley

By writing this story, I’m breaking a sixty-year-old promise made to my mom and dad to never use four-letter words. Sixty years is a long time to keep a promise so why break it now? Well, Dear Reader, there is a very good reason or, I should say, a bunch of little ones. And when you get to the end of this story, I think you’ll agree. During this time of year, they fall from the sky and land everywhere.
Goodbye, Old Friend

1 month ago | thecitizen.com | Rick Ryckeley

During those seven magical years we spent growing up on that old familiar street not so far away called Flamingo, Dad said many times, “You’ll be lucky if you can count the number of true friends you have on one hand. They will be the ones you can count on, anytime day or night, during an emergency. Cherish them; they’ll help you get through life.” He was right. Unfortunately, the Wife and I lost just such a friend last weekend.
Itty-bitty Socks

1 month ago | thecitizen.com | Rick Ryckeley

This is a story I didn’t want to write. This is a story you are all too familiar with…or will soon be if you plan on having children. This is a story that will make you cry. So why write this story at all? As her youngest is soon turning five, a friend of mine is already missing those itty-bitty socks around her house. Didn’t have the heart to tell her that it’s been over ten years since we had itty-bitty socks at our house, and it’s with great sadness I state what most parents already know.
Chasing Perfection

2 months ago | thecitizen.com | Rick Ryckeley

I wasn’t perfect as a child, and I’m nowhere close to it as an adult. Still, trying to be perfect at something, anything, has been a lifelong passion of mine. One which, sadly, has always alluded my grasp. Trying to be perfect is not a challenge for me, but rather, it’s a pursuit I can’t seem to resist – one that often has been debilitating.
I Had a Thought…

2 months ago | thecitizen.com | Rick Ryckeley

Well, I’ve delayed it long enough, and so now that it’s the last week of February, it’s finally time to start working on income taxes. Throughout the last year, I’ve stacked all the important papers on my desk and piled everything else neatly on the floor. Now, with the filing deadline creeping ever closer, I really need to get started. But first, I had a thought…To have the mental energy to work the entire day up in the office, one must have a good breakfast.