By the Dashboard Lights

by the dashboard lights by the dashboard lights by the dashboard lights by the dashboard lights



'By the Dashboard Lights' is a feature column by David Friedli which is printed in the Lyons Mirror-Sun, a weekly newspaper in Lyons, Nebraska.

Since 1998, David Friedli has written 'slice of life' columns for the newspaper. The column has received awards in 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2007 from the Nebraska Press Association. Friedli's columns have been reprinted in the newsletters of various organizations and businesses, including those of the Omaha World-Herald, the Nebraska School Activities Association and the Nebraska Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Here are some of Friedli's recent and favorite columns, reprinted by permission of the author and Jodie Jordan, the current editor of the Lyons Mirror-Sun.  The publisher of the Lyons Mirror-Sun is Mark Rhodes.

Warning:  Parental Advisory   May 1, 2008
    Thirteen years to prepare, one week to get ready.


Dad Being Dad April 24, 2008
    It's a lame tradition, but it is a tradition.

In My Son's Insteps   April 17, 2008
    "Walk a mile in my shoes."
   
Kill the Fatted Goat   April 10, 2008
    A State Championship deserves a party of mythical proportions.

Reverberations  April 3, 2008
    "Honey, get the door! My hands are full of sound..."

The Ultimate Spinoff  March 27, 2008
    NASA + The Japanese Space Agency + 'Necessity' = One Strange Idea.  (BTW:  the astronaut's name is really Doi.)

Home Again   March 20, 2008
    The outlook for the weekend changed in an instant.

Addys Baby    March 13, 2008
    Her baby...our problem.

By the Concourse Lights   March 6, 2008
     Traveling by air has none of the comforts of home.

Poor Postman  February 28, 2008
     The influx of mail from colleges directed at my Senior daughter obviously has not solved a revenue deficit for the US Postal Service.

Different Day, Same Names   February 21, 2008
    The sport of wrestling is a family--and a familiar--affair.

Making it Count  February 14, 2008
    My recap of the Burt County, NE Democratic Party Caucus...(see A Giant Slipup below, also)

In Search of Perfection    February 7, 2008
    It's hard to have a perfect season...and it's OK to cheer for those looking to complete it.

A Giant Slipup   January 31, 2008
    Mistakes of the legendary kind in science and politics.

It's Just My Idea   January 24, 2008
    Writing a column does take effort.

That Part of Sport     January 17, 2008
     I have written a number of stories about sports. This describes the most frightening thing I have ever witnessed in sports.

Jonesin', January 10, 2008
    The holidays are over, and I am in withdrawal.

Memorable Twists, January 3, 2008
    My quest for the perfect snack food begins and ends in my grandmother's kitchen.

The Year In Revue, December 27, 2007
    Revue, not review, like entertainment, not fact.

Waiting and Watching for a Miracle, December 20, 2007
    Merry Christmas to all...even those who missed it the first time.

Officially Older, December 13, 2007
    It happens to all of us, and you can take my word for it.

Restoring the Tradition, December 6, 2007
    Bo Big Red...Pelini coaches NU football

Video for the Rest of Us  November 29, 2007
    Thanks to my friend Nate, I am a hero.

Words of Gratitude  November 22, 2007
    I have been a city councilman, school board member and an Elder in my church. I know from where I speak.

Listen to the Music  November 15, 2007
  I received as much feedback on this column as any in my eight years of submission.  Supporters on both sides let me know their feelings about the future of a 100-year old building in Lyons, Nebraska.

Wart Removal  November 8, 2007
    All plugged in and nowhere to go
   
Oh Deer    November 1, 2007
    There are six seasons in Nebraska:  Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall, Road Construction and Deer.

iUnderstand 10/25/07
    I actually thought about changing a school policy about this.

Shiny Ride 10/18/07
    If students and nationally-required testing were automobiles...

In Honor 10/11/07
    Sometimes I am humbled, sometimes honored, sometimes overwhelmed.  This was a trifecta.

Welcome to the Game 10/04/07
    When small-team football comes to play at a field near you.

Fifty Ways 9/20/07
    September 15, 2007 was a good day.
   
The Power of Ten    9/10/07
    Heroism of the athletic kind.

Hole-lueiah!   8/30/07
    My prayers are answered.

Center of Attention    09/06/07
    What parents go through in sports.

And the Winner Is...   May 3, 2007
    If it is Tuesday, it must be another school awards program.

An Idea to Stick With, April 19, 2007
    I can't make money in the stock market, but here is my latest get-rich-quick scheme.

Looking Aside, March 29, 2007
    A good friend shows tremendous courage and makes a life-defining choice.
    First Place, 2007 Nebraska Press Association Award
    Class A Newspaper
    Personal Column   Excerpt and judge's comments here.

How it looked from the newspaper "tearsheet".  The column makes more sense if you have seen the layout of the paper. 



Injured Reserve, March 22, 2007
    Stupidity and middle age means I don't heal quickly.

The Aftermath, March 15, 2007
    Don't give me an excuse not to get cleaned up every day.

An All-Star Travesty  February 22, 2007
    What I know about basketball you can put in a thimble and have room for 10 gallons of water, but I know what I saw.

The Visitor   February 2, 2007
    I watched a good friend go through some hard times, and I unwittingly was part of it. I learned a valuable lesson.

Champions on the Field Only    November 30, 2006
   This story is true and it makes me angry.

Groundhog Day in the Boundary Waters   Sometime in 2001, posted Groundhog Day 2007

JT in the Cut-out Bin    Sometime in 1999
    This is NOT where a musical icon deserves to be.

Life in the Gutter     July 12, 2005
    Near the top of my all-time best list of experiences with my kids.

Lions or Tigers or Bears...Here's Why     October 5, 2006
    Third Place Sports Column, Nebraska Press Association 2007  Reprinted in the Nebraska School Activities Association newsletter.  Eight years at a school serving Native American students will do this to you.

Fall's Fraternity    September 20, 1998
    Every fall, I do miss coaching football.

From Where We Started   July 13, 2006
    We were just a bunch of Phys Ed majors at the University of Nebraska.  Now look at us.

It Could Happen Anywhere   March 31, 2005
    It could.  Easily.  More often than we can imagine.

Save the Whales:  Clean Their Teeth   August 2005
    How I spent one night as a school principal.

It's All About Christmas   December, 2004
    Just a look into our family tradition.

Dear Melissa  January 4, 2001
    A favored niece looks forward to marriage.

WWJSB?   January 7, 1999
    When the rhetorical question becomes real.

Life, Like Chocolates  January 7, 2002
    Thanks to my Aunt Gwen...

Assorted Tales of the Chocolate Kind  January 24, 2002
    ...this follow-up won a Nebraska Press Association award in 2002.

Turtles in the Fairway    June 30, 2005
    Bogeys and birdies and pars...there is more to golf than those.

Mic's Revenge     May 17, 2001
    I get my twists all worded up in public.

Hometown Hero    May 27, 1999
    A tribute to a local giant.

Meterological Breakthrough    March 18, 1999
    My column ideas come from lots of sources, and TK from James Taylor Online gave me this inspiration.  It ended up winning a Nebraska Press Association award in 2000 because one of the judges was from Oklahoma and understood weather.

A Parable in an Obituary      March 21, 2002
    When I got turned down about a million times asking for some assistance in getting a project done for the community, I realized someone had died.

Death of A Spiritual Kind     August 24, 2006
    Just what do you do with an old church, anyway?

The Champion  April 18, 2002
    Oldest daughter gains a great award.

Dear Matt       May 11, 2001
    My state senator gets some advice.

Snippets  March 27, 2003
    Linda's Shear Impressions.  Making me look good for over 20 years.

Sports Sense    September 30, 1999
    Perhaps he is the athlete I most wish could have turned his sports sense into career.

The Passing
    You'll understand.

One of Our Own   October 31, 1999
    When the home town boy and former student does good, he needs to be recognized.

No.12    October 19, 2000
    He will always be a favorite.

In the Bag     October 30, 2003
    Give me caffeine and nobody gets hurt.

Bounty by the Bushel 
    Big maple trees + kids = a harvest of fun.

Some Gave All      November 11, 1998
    Thank you to every veteran.

Never Too Late

By the Numbers   July 16, 1998
    My, time passes quickly.

Know the Code   August 27, 1998
    Early on in my column career, I passed the time behind the wheel.  Here's how it happened.

Teaching for a Lifetime   September 17, 1998
    Regardless of our job, we are teaching.

Thank You    July 2, 1998
    You did so I didn't need to.

Your Smiling Face   June 18, 1998
    He was one in a million.

My Night in The Tipi, a Guest Column by fellow educator and the proof-reading guru of this site, John Mangan

(additional articles and site links are under construction)
by the dashboard lights by the dashboard lights by the dashboard lights by the dashboard lights

This Page was last update: Sunday, April 27, 2008 at 9:38:39 PM
This page was originally posted: 11/27/06; 4:43:36 PM.
Copyright 2008 David Friedli

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