I volunteered just to get out of class.

It was 1980 and I was a senior in Arkansas at Ashdown High School. One spring day, the bloodmobile came to our campus and our third period teacher announced that anyone who wanted to help those in the hospital could donate.

Like most 17-year-olds, I was more interested in what was in it for me rather than for people I didn’t know who were in a hospital.

So, I raised my hand, got up and ...

There are only a few real friends we have in life. We may have hundreds or even thousands of acquaintances, but real friends, we only have a few.

While fulfilling my civic obligation at jury duty this week, my phone vibrated. I was sitting there watching people give the judge their excuses on why they should be allowed to go home, so I welcomed the interruption.

I looked down and saw that it was a text from a high school buddy. In ...

Vinyl records are making a comeback.

What was written off for dead 25 years ago is now the only segment of the music business that’s showing an increase in hard copy sales.

The website marketplace.org recently featured a story on the subject. It states that record album sales in 2013 had grown to 6 million, and that number is expected to increase this year.

With the last new vinyl record press going online in 1982, why has this happened? The answer is young people.

Even ...

Turns out, a lot.

Most of us are given three names when we are born. Our first name is the one most often used to address us, and our last name is normally handed down through our father’s side of the family. Our middle name can be another family member’s name or completely random. Some people don’t have a middle name.

So, how did we all go from having one name, to more than one? Well, it’s complicated and varies, depending on ...

My wife and I don’t eat out often, but when we do, we treat ourselves to a nice meal. This time, we tried somewhere fancy. And the restaurant we visited had more wait staff dedicated to us than Wal Mart has employees.

There were two valets, our maitre’ d, three greeting girls, our waiter, a beverage waiter, a bread girl, a guy whose only job seemed to be refilling our water glasses, and another girl who just walked from place to ...

Just as the temps finally decided to creep near 100 degrees for the first time this summer, the air conditioning in my car quit.

As I drove along with all of the windows down, I had an epiphany.

Suddenly, I became aware of things I hadn’t noticed in 35 years. Things you can’t notice with the windows up and the AC blowing.

I could hear the sounds of birds, dogs, the road noise, and the feeling of the hot ...

Cake is overrated. Yet for some reason, it’s used to celebrate the biggest events of our lives, including birthdays, weddings and retirements.

I believe that people like pie better, they just don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings when someone bakes them a cake.

Seriously, can you honestly tell me that you wouldn’t rather have a bite of warm pecan pie with your glass of milk than a piece of cake?

Even royalty prefers pie. Marie Antoinette didn’t say, “Let them eat pie.” She ...