Author: Buddy McElhannon

  • Living Holy Saturday

    Most people, especially those of the Christian faith, recognize the phrase “Holy Saturday” as the final day of Holy Week, falling between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. It commemorates the day Jesus Christ’s body lay in the tomb after his crucifixion, but before his resurrection. During this time, the followers of Jesus were in a…

  • The Death of Dialogue

    We live in a time when civil discourse and debate are a dying form of communication. Civil discourse is rarely civil these days, and it takes the form of social media monologues. What debate there is seems to be dominated by the extremists on the Left and the Right. Let’s be honest. Too many of…

  • Life Lessons from a Cookie

    I find it hard to resist a good cookie. Lay out a plate of Oreos, Nutter Butters, or my personal favorite, chocolate chip cookies, and my dietary restrictions collapse like the Walls of Jericho. Yes, there’s a rumor that Sesame Street’s Cookie Monster was modeled after my eating habits. I am writing this reflection during…

  • Reasons I Like February

    Friends, Last month, I celebrated my 75th birthday.  Between the emails, phone calls, and Facebook posts, I was overwhelmed with all the birthday wishes.  Thank you for your thoughtful and kind comments.  It made turning 75 so much easier.  Well, sort of. This milestone birthday sparked an idea in the literary part of my brain,…

  • What Real Men Do!

    I saw a t-shirt recently that read, “Real Men Pray.”  I chuckled at the irony. It wasn’t long ago when a “real man” was defined by his strength, attractiveness to women, and financial success.  Masculinity was viewed through the lens of abs, muscles, and dollar bills. Growing up in the 1950s and 1960s, media and…

  • The Big Brownie Debate

    You would think that, with all the chaos in the world, family debates would have an international flavor.  Ukraine, Iran, Venezuela, Minnesota?  (Yes, these days even Minnesota sounds like a foreign country.) Not in this household. The current squabble is a culinary conflict.  This age-old question, with no definitive answer, may just be a distraction…

  • If I Were the Devil

    For those of you yet to approach your senior years, you may not be familiar with the radio broadcaster, Paul Harvey. In the second half of the 20th century, Harvey had a daily news program and was famous for his “The Rest of the Story” Saturday broadcasts.  I thought of Harvey recently while reading a…

  • The Color of My Car…and What I Hope It Says About Me

    The Color of My Car…and What I Hope It Says About Me

    It is a universally acknowledged truth among car companies that a car sells better when its color has a sexy, glamorous name. Or so it seems. I believe the evidence is overwhelming. Car companies have long understood the appeal of colors and have moved away from basic primary tones and simple labels like red, white,…

  • Where Were the Angels on Christmas Day?

    Were the angels standing in awe or Lying prostrate before the throne? Were they singing Hallelujahs or Kneeling in silent wonder? Where were the angels on Christmas Day? The Nativity foretold, Signaled by the stars. Seeking to worship the newborn King, Wise men traveled from afar. But where were the angels on Christmas Day? Shepherds…

  • Word of the Year?

    Oxford University Press just announced its 2025 Word of the Year.  Rage bait.  I know it is two words, but it has only one meaning.  Rage bait is defined as “online content deliberately designed to elicit anger or outrage by being frustrating, provocative, or offensive.” One only has to scroll through social media before one…