Introducing John Naughton's My Life, in Color

How I live my life to the fullest through fun and friendship

Welcome to my world, now buckle up

It all started with the Flamingo Suit.

Or perhaps I should say everything changed when I dressed up in a jacket, pants and tie that featured flamingos, palm trees and sandy beaches.

It’s comparable to Clark Kent stepping into that phone booth. But nobody told me that changing my look would result in a change of attitude and how I interact with the world.

The Flamingo suit, worn outside the Flamingo Las Vegas on the Strip.

But let me backtrack. You may recall my writing as a 31-year veteran sportswriter at The Des Moines Register. It was a great career. I retired from the Register in 2019, but I’ve kept writing on a freelance basis and still live in the Des Moines area.

So let me introduce you to the John Naughton you’ll be reading on the Substack platform as part of the Iowa Writers Collaborative (an impressive crew that includes former Register colleagues Chuck Offenburger and Kyle Munson).

The new me: Bolder and broader than the Big Peach

You may know the old me, the one who traveled Iowa while writing about the state’s top high school athletes and their inspiring stories (mostly) and occasional articles and projects related to college, amateur and professional athletes (sometimes).

But my day-to-day wear was usually khakis or jeans and collared shirts. A professional, but comparatively bland uniform.

That brings me to Substack. I’ll be writing about fun and interesting things that inspire me — and yes, sports will still be part of the mix.