By Tyler Dahlgren

I really should have listened to my wife. And my mom. And maybe my chiropractor, too.

Next month marks six years that I’ve been travelling the state for Nebraska Public School Advantage, finding and telling stories that showcase the power of public education in our state and the remarkable human beings that bring our schools to life.

I don’t break the fourth wall often on here. In fact, three-hundred-and-something stories in, I don’t believe I ever have. But I’m going to now. I’m Tyler Dahlgren, the journalist-turned-public school advocate who writes all of the stories on this website. I have the coolest job in the world, and that's because of YOU.

I’m also the guy who ignored nagging back pain for a month and continued to play basketball, golf and run 25 miles-a-week, expecting whatever was bugging me to simply go away. Then I pulled driver on the first hole at Table Creek in Nebraska City on a beautiful Saturday morning in late June and swung what would end up being my last swing for a long time.

It was a slice. Nothing out of the ordinary there. And there was a pop, followed by blinding pain and a sensation of being stuck, completely unable to move. Uh-oh.

Now I’m the guy who should have listened to his wife. And his mom. And maybe his chiropractor, too.

I’ll be having back surgery on Monday, a procedure that will allow me to get my life back. After a few weeks on the shelf, that is.

We’ve hit the storytelling trail hard already this semester, and we’re sitting on several more. And even though severe sciatica has made it difficult to put my shoes on in the morning, telling your stories has kept me going the last few months. I did all I could to avoid surgery, but that’s the only thing left on the table.

Long story short, I’m going to be gone for a little while and I need YOUR help. Throughout October, I’m challenging you to share your school district’s successes on social media by using #NEPSSuccess.

I’m excited to get my life back, to get back on the road and back in schools, pain-free. I’m thrilled to be able to play with my two-year-old again and to resume doing all the things I took for granted before my injury, pain-free.

But first, I have to log off for a short while and heal. I’m sure that’ll entail plenty of channel-surfing and more than a few good movies and new books. Of course, there’ll be hours of Twitter-scrolling, too.

Do me a favor and give me something to smile about, would ‘ya?