ron stempkowski

January 18: A Decade Later

Posted on January 20, 2020May 14, 2022 by Ron Stempkowski

I’m pretty ardent with the attention I pay to my calendar and to my journal (and to my blog, for that matter), marking it with momentous occasions—both good and bad. Ken’s cancer and death were ... Read More

Home Is Where the Dead Hookers Are

Posted on November 3, 2016May 14, 2022 by Ron Stempkowski

My house never feels more like a home than when it’s brimming with people I love. Recently, my A-List (Retta, Kathy, Alan and Tina) had the opportunity to get together–for the first... Read More

The Sanctuary of Sameness

Posted on June 15, 2016May 14, 2022 by Ron Stempkowski

The first gay bar I ever went to in Chicago was a small but colorful neighborhood bar called Buddie’s. I’d found it wandering down Clark Street while my friend Denise, who had driven us th... Read More

My Awkward Acquaintance

Posted on June 1, 2014October 30, 2025 by Ron Stempkowski

June 1 is crisp. Somehow compact and rigid. It sits right at the promise of summer. It can barely contain its toothy smile in light of all the bounty it will bear. Almost smug. But it can’t help... Read More

The Day They All Knew My Name

Posted on August 7, 2012May 14, 2022 by Ron Stempkowski

With only a couple of months until high school graduation to go, I was content to quietly slip out the doors of my sleepy, small town high school and into my future at college. But one chilly spring m... Read More

Belonging

Posted on August 26, 2011May 14, 2022 by Ron Stempkowski

It’s not often I’m able to get together with four of my closest friends–at the same time. The last time all five us were together was at my birthday a couple of years ago, where Ken ... Read More

Connecting

Posted on August 17, 2011June 7, 2023 by Ron Stempkowski

I have to admit while I was walking up Lincoln Avenue to the Tiny Lounge last evening I had butterflies in my stomach and was filled with a medley of feelings that ran the gamut. I was excited to see ... Read More

The Dime Store of Broken Dreams

Posted on February 20, 2011October 30, 2025 by Ron Stempkowski

My parents owned a “variety store” when I was third grade–maybe after and possibly before, but I know for certain I remember going there in third grade. After school my sister and I ... Read More

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ron stempkowski

ron stempkowski

love, loss, healing, and humor…in no particular order

Tag: favorite

January 18: A Decade Later

Home Is Where the Dead Hookers Are

The Sanctuary of Sameness

My Awkward Acquaintance

The Day They All Knew My Name

Belonging

Connecting

The Dime Store of Broken Dreams