Hands down, fall is my favorite time of year. I just wish that fall lasted a little longer in Texas.
Had I been born and raised in a different climate, this might not be the case. But, growing up in the south, the fall won my appreciation at a young age.
For those who are reading this and are sitting in a geographical location that is visited by four equal seasons every year, pat yourself on the back and say, “I am ...
Continue Reading →
We weren’t sitting in the very back of the room, but we were pretty close.
By the time I found out that syndicated columnist and FOX News commentator Charles Krauthammer was speaking in Longview, many of the tickets had already been sold. Fortunately, I was able to snag two in the back of the center section, so our seats were good.
First, let me say that I don’t often spend money to hear people speak in person that I can hear speak ...
Continue Reading →
Wanna hear something really scary? If the estimates are correct, you’ll drop an average of $74 bucks for Halloween.
$6.9 billion. That was Fortune Magazine’s estimate in 2015 for the total amount Americans spent on Halloween. That included candy, costumes, and decorations. This year likely will be close to the same totals.
So, why do we celebrate Halloween? What makes us shell out hard-earned cash for large quantities of candy and dress up like ghoulish figures and politicians? Please forgive my redundancy.
According ...
Continue Reading →
It’s time for hats to make a comeback.
I honestly thought that when Harrison Ford donned his fedora in the first Indiana Jones movie that hats would return to their rightful place atop men’s heads.
Tom Landry was one of the last men of my youth to wear a hat as part of his attire. It didn’t matter if it was 100 degrees on the sideline, Mr. Landry was always there with his trademark suit, tie, and fedora.
The men of my grandfather’s ...
Continue Reading →
“The choice for mankind lies between freedom and happiness and for the great bulk of mankind, happiness is better.” ― George Orwell, 1984
We trust way too much of what we see, hear, and read. We do it because it’s convenient, and we do it because it’s comfortable.
As a child, I was frequently admonished by my parents, teachers and other adults to “think for myself.” If I was repeating something that I had heard another kid pass off as gospel, I ...
Continue Reading →
Walking down the sloped driveway, newspaper in hand, I strain to see the house, which is shrouded in fog. As I pass the truck parked in the drive, the mist has frosted the glass and offers the illusion of being covered in ice. The quiet is broken by a single crow, announcing his presence as he pierces the fog near the chimney and flies to my left, on the way to the rest of his day. The cat greets me ...
Continue Reading →
The first time I heard Warren Bradley on the radio, I was impressed.
After working for years in the radio business, I was not easily impressed by most on-air personalities. But, Warren stood out. It was obvious that he was far more talented than most in our market and really, I sensed that he would be better suited working in show business.
Little did I know that he had been trying to get into show business his entire adult life.
I did character ...
Continue Reading →
My middle name is a gray area. Literally.
My middle name is Gray.
I’ve written before about last names, or surnames as they are called in the United States and other parts of the world, but until recently, I hadn’t thought too much about why we have or need a middle name.
In regard to history, last names are a relatively recent thing. Only used for the past few hundred years for most of us who trace our roots back to Europe, the ...
Continue Reading →
I grew up in a family who fixed things. We fixed things because we didn’t have the money to pay someone else to fix them. As a result, I was taught a little about a lot when it came to everyday items.
Things used to be made simply. Consequently, in most cases you could fix most items yourself. A fan, for example, was rudimentary. A housing, blade, electric motor, and a plug was pretty much all there was to one. The ...
Continue Reading →
I was about five years old when I discovered that my name wasn’t actually Johnny. I didn’t say anything about it until I was eight. Then, my OCD kicked in.
In the third grade, I decided to insist that I be called John. John was my name, and I should be called that.
This didn’t go over too well with my parents, especially my dad, who informed me that he could call me whatever he wanted.
He had a point, but my name ...
Continue Reading →