Op-ed on stairs in the New York Daily News and letter to the rangers at the Bunker Hill Monument

Wednesday 8/20/25

I had an op-ed on stairs run (you get it) in the New York Daily News, which I wasn't aware of until well after the fact. I haven't been in the email much.

After learning this, I asked the editor if they might send me a pdf file of the piece as it ran, so that I could share it with the rangers at the Bunker Hill Monument.

Printed it out and wrote a letter on the back and gave it to this ranger who's really nice later that morning when I went for my workout. He always gives me a fist bump when I come in and as I'm leaving. I gave him a quick summary and asked him if he might circulate the letter and the article with the other rangers, and he thanked me and shook my hand and said he would.

After I was finished that day and heading out, he made sure to thank me again, and then as I was walking away, he called me and I stopped and turned and he paraphrased something from the piece, which meant a lot to me.

Today I was waiting outside for the Monument to open when one of the rangers was arriving for her shift and came walking over to me, saying, "You're Colin, right?"

She's also very nice. Each time she's there when I come down, she asks, "How was it today?" with a smile.

It may be a simple gesture--though is it really in today's world?--but she has brightened what are some exceedingly hard days. She's also quite attractive. Are you allowed to say that? Anyway, she is. I'm a fan.

She thanked me for the letter and said the article was really good and we shook hands.

But I had never really gone into why I was doing what I've been doing for so long, and I thought I should, while also expressing my gratitude for the work these people do and the difference they make.