On May 15, 1976, two young people (who probably did not know much) got married. The ceremony was memorable. It took two preachers, and two trips by an absent-minded caterer before the service could start…45 minutes late. The night was memorable for many reasons. It included cold hamburgers from room service that closed early and car problems. The two people were my [...]
Throughout my life, three mothers walked down the street of my life. The first was my mother, who gave me birth and raised me. She left the earth too soon, 19 years ago. The second is my wife, who gave birth to our two daughters and raised them. The final is my two daughters, who now have children of their own, our [...]
My golf bag holds a nine iron that doesn’t belong to me. I don’t know who owns it, but I know something about who does. I found it in the high bushes beside the walking path adjacent to the golf course. It did not get there the way an errant golf ball ended up in the grass. Instead, I suspect the owner, [...]
Why do you know what you know? Pliny the Elder (who perished at Pompeii in the eruption of Vesuvius) wrote what was considered the first encyclopedia called Natural History. In it, he described creatures such as a man with a dog’s head, one-eyed humans, and dwarf-like creatures with a single food protruding from the center of their bodies. Most accepted Pliny’s descriptions [...]
On a former grave plot, the Greeks established Delphi eight centuries before Jesus’ birth. The new temple boasted the “Oracle,” the message from the mythical Apollo about the future’s successes…and failures. Seedy sides of towns host séances. Weird women in robes turn over tarot cards to “discern” the spirits. It even became child’s play with Magic 8 Balls (shaken to give yes, [...]
Lake levels. It has the ring of worn-out rags…unless you live in Texas. Texans keep track of lake levels, especially since populations explode with every new transplant. Homes come with grass, and grass requires water. Hence, the lake level discussion. In spring, we usually get rain. The rains are vital because they fill lakes. When the rain fills the lakes in spring, [...]
Airplane trips have always fascinated me. While some tire of the present hassles of security, baggage, and packed planes, something happens in airplanes. I always choose a seat where I can see the landscape out of the window. You can see things differently when you get to a higher altitude. You have to climb above the racket of routine to get a [...]
We traveled to California to see my grandparents when I was a boy. The problem was we had to cross the hot furnace of Arizona in July. Highway 66 stretched for miles as the temperature climbed to 15 degrees above the century mark. Heatwaves radiated from baked asphalt. The air scorched. I remember one thought. Get me to the other side. Life’s [...]
Each of us has received a gift, but it doesn’t come assembled. Instead, you have to do something to use it. It is like Christmas gifts with hundreds of pieces and vague instructions. I was finishing 8th grade when I was required to take an “aptitude test.” I did not need a test to tell me what I wanted to do with [...]
Life has a curious way of being a nose tackle that frustrates us. For those who don’t like or care about football similes, let me explain briefly. A nose tackle is a defensive player whose main job is to make sure the ball doesn’t advance. Brute tackles and deer-like pursuits are his skills. He smashes quarterbacks to the ground. Ball carriers crawl [...]
