Modern Stories of the Way

“The Beauty of Language” Sitting tonight in a local restaurant, I was witness to a most unusual display of language, which occurred without anything being said.  Directly across from me, a group of individuals sat signing to each other.  About eight individuals in all, they were engrossed in a spirited communication, yet none of us [...]

“Boss Hog” The year is 1997, August 58h, to be exact; that is the first time my wife, Dorothy, met Boss Hogg.  “Boss Hogg” is not his real name, but my wife swears this man who arrived with his truck and large storage trailer to move her and my three children to Charleston, SC was [...]

“Children, Clowns and Chainsaws” My daughter, Hannah and her best friend, Caroline plan an excursion each fall to one of the “Haunted Houses” or other displays which pop up like daffodils in the spring, covering our area with general “fright, night and clouds of gathering doom.”  In other words, the whole intention of these places [...]

“A Tragedy in Las Vegas” By this time, two days after the horrible shooting in Las Vegas, with a mentally ill man using weapons modified to shoot hundreds of rounds of ammunition, we are all informed of the tragedy in Las Vegas!  Weapons like this find their place on fields of battle, what we all [...]

“Another Really Dumb Plan for Health Care Reform” September 20, 2017 The Graham-Cassidy bill to replace Obamacare is making the rounds in Washington, DC.  While the nation’s attention is focused on recovery efforts for Hurricane Harvey in Texas and surrounds, recovery from Hurricane Irma in Florida and Hurricane Maria tearing up Puerto Rica and the [...]

“Thoughts on San Antonio” Sitting on the balcony overlooking the San Antonio River, I paused to observe a young couple walking down the sidewalk.  They were walking single file, the woman in front of the man, about 5 paces between.  Both were looking at their cell phone, entranced it seemed at the stream of information [...]

“Watching a Hurricane” September 11, 2017 Sitting in my upstairs room in the dark while the wind blows so strong, I am writing this essay on paper, not a computer screen.  This pretty much summarizes the dilemma of so many of us across Florida, Georgia and South Carolina tonight.  The arrival of Hurricane Irma in [...]

“Barbecue in Madison, Wisconsin” For Gretchen My son, Ben, moved to Madison, Wisconsin this past week to start a new job.  I joined him for the ride up, about 17 hours driving on the road in a U-Haul van with a car carrier attached.  It is truly remarkable that a person can move half way [...]

“How Much Rubbing for a Kitty? Having some time tonight with not so much work, I thought to ponder the question which goes to the larger meaning of life:  “How much rubbing for a kitty is enough rubbing?”  (NO, this is not about sex.) Having spent a great many hours sitting before my computer typing, [...]

“Fire and Fury” August 10, 2017 Hiroshima August 6, 1945    Nagasaki – August 9, 1945    70+ years after the A bomb. Having listened to many words this week flung back and forth across the globe, while good people of many countries, children of God, like lambs awaiting the slaughter, wait… It gives me pause to [...]