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Rob Reads: “The ‘Five-Year Stranger Theory’…”
Exploring the “Five-Year Stranger Theory” and how personal growth, life transitions, and age shift our closest friendships over time. A reflection on past relationships, post-lockdown dynamics, and how digital connections evolve as we age.
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L7’s Last Hurrah at Saint Andrews: Mortality, Punk, and the 90s
Thirty-two years after Lollapalooza ’94, L7’s farewell tour brought them to a newly renovated Saint Andrews Hall. Reflecting on a night of raw punk energy, the evolution of downtown Detroit, and why 90s music is slowly moving up the radio dial.
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I Am the Highway: The Song That Saved My Life
A personal reflection on Audioslave’s “I Am the Highway”—a song that didn’t just alter my musical taste, but saved my life during a dark season of change, loss, and self-preservation.
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Why Cryptocurrency Fails My 100% Policy
I couldn’t pretend to understand cryptocurrency on a technical level, so I asked AI to break it down for me. But even after hearing how binary code and digital ledgers work, one truth remains clear: always trust your gut. To me, crypto feels like a second cousin to day trading—a…
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The year I was actually Batman 
From elementary school parades and Arby’s shift work to high-stakes adult costume contests and going full Batman alongside my four-year-old Robin, here is why Halloween remains my absolute favorite holiday of the year.
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30 Days, 30 Lessons
Reflecting on 30 consecutive days of daily blogging with 30 distinct lessons, realizations, and truths learned along the way.
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Rob Remembers: Sir Patrick Stewart 
The passing of Sir Patrick Stewart marks the end of an era. Looking back at his iconic legacy as Captain Jean-Luc Picard, his Shakespearean gravitas, and a ranking of his top 5 most unforgettable Star Trek episodes.
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Beyond the fifth wall 
What happens when your private online world collides with your real life? When Sierra accidentally discovered my podcast and blog through the TikTok algorithm, I braced for an earthquake. Instead, I got complete support—and a whole new perspective on opening up, setting boundaries, and writing with a fine-tooth comb.
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Winter is Coming
From Rogers Hornsby quotes and college funk to light therapy in the classroom: a candid look at surviving seasonal depression and another Michigan winter.
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The Art of the Game Face (and Taking It Off)
From putting on the teacher “game face” every morning to building blank-slate days into travel itineraries, Rebuilding Rob explores the art of daily decompression, setting mental boundaries, and why downtime isn’t a luxury—it’s a requirement.