Always trying to make the best of less than ideal circumstances, Tyrel Nelson shares a collection of heartwarming stories in Those Darn Stripes. Recent and distant memories fade into pleasant ramblings as Tyrel gets out of his own head and lets his mind wander, giving readers a backstage pass to his three decades of life. The stories include pivotal relationship moments, profoundly moving experiences, and ordinary happenings that contribute to Tyrel’s overall personality. It’s hard not to develop a fondness for a person who is so fearless in sharing their successes and equally, their failures. Especially with an on-again-off-again girlfriend, he is brutally honest about his choices, feelings and mistakes. Besides getting to know Tyrel, other important people in his life are given attention, particularly his late father, Jay Nelson. It is such a special and thoughtful image of his dad that Tyrel recounts from an outing visiting a local wildlife refuge. The memory begins, “After dodging a few of his jabs (he enjoys pretending to box).” It is these tiny flashes of undefinable moments and hazy notions that really add up to something, a special moment shared between a loving father and son.
Nelson has a writing style that some may find poetic at times, while others may simply be left shaking their “dome” at the author’s choice of colorful synonyms. Either way, it’s clear that writing a book not long after the passing of a loved one can be both painful and cathartic. Being able to reflect on the smallest, most mundane moments and memories with Tyrel will no doubt kindle warm feelings in readers who have endured similar heartbreak. Photos help bring a visual component to Nelson’s storytelling, adding faces and places to the names and anecdotes.
One sound piece of advice regarding blazing your own trail that carries him through many seasons comes from a former professor. Nelson was told, “You should be the black sheep, break away from the herd, and make your own path.” The author’s unique path is demonstrated in this honest memoir. Illnesses, accidents, depression and unemployment beset him, but this man is determined to make lemonade from lemons. Whether it’s an oft visited city park or an exotic destination, a night out with friends or an evening at home, Tyrel demonstrates his resolve not to take even the most mundane things for granted. And though there are an endless amount of paths to explore, Those Darn Stripes is a journey you’re sure to enjoy.
