Category: Americana
-
Defining Success
Rummaging through the attic this week, I found some old high school trophies. Half a century ago, these treasured testaments sat proudly on a shelf displaying my teenage achievements. “MVP,” “Most Likely to…,” “Best All-Around..” Well, you get the idea. Yet, today, these long-forgotten, bygone memories are rusting and collecting dust in a box that […]
-
Success Sickness
Growing old is, what can I say, an adventure? Arthritis is like a non-stop robocall that keeps ringing at all times of the day or night. Then there are those senior moments when I forget why I walked upstairs. Now entering my eighth decade of life, I have to live with the fact I am […]
-
Summer Daze and Asphalt Waves
It’s summer in Georgia, where saunas are free. All you have to do is step outside to learn the true definition of “sweltering.” Yes, you know it’s summertime in the Southland when the heat, humidity, and mosquitos rise to unbearable levels. Thank God for Willis Carrier! (Inventor of the first electrical air conditioner in 1902.) […]
-
Celebrating Freedom
I approach this July 4th with what can be best described as mixed emotions. Most certainly, I want to celebrate the birth of our great Republic. Oh, how youthful memories flow of those 4ths of July spent at baseball tournaments or family reunions at my grandmother’s. As a young adult, many an Independence Day meant a trek to my […]
-
Good Golly Miss Dolly
Recently, my family spent a week vacationing together in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. And when I say family, I mean FAMILY. All my children, grandchildren, a brother, his wife and son, along with my wife and her grandson — a total of 23 related-by-DNA and marriage kind of people — shared a three-story, cliff-hanging, ten-bedroom cabin […]
-
The Warning Lights Are Growing Brighter
A recent Facebook post aimed at the under-50 demographic prompted a smile and a chuckle for its innate wisdom. “Y’all better enjoy your 20s, 30s, and 40s. Because in your 50s, that check engine light is gonna come on.” How true! I might add you can also expect an unwelcome guest to show up — […]
-
What is Man That Thou Art Mindful of Him?
It may come as a surprise to 21st Century Americans that the original official motto of Harvard University, first adopted in 1692, was Veritas Christo et Ecclesiae, Latin for “Truth . . . for Christ and the Church.” In the 17th and 18th centuries, Harvard students were encouraged to have a biblical worldview and embrace […]
-
The Rescue of Two
“Two came in the screened porch, Poppy!” My four-year-old grandson had an urgent sound in his voice. It was mid-afternoon on a lovely Spring day when I sat down on my patio to enjoy a glass of iced tea after finishing some yard work. Confused, I replied with a simple, “Two? “Yes, Poppy, Two […]
-
Misty Eyes and the Ashokan Farewell Waltz
Music has power — to elevate your mood, lower stress, and even improve your blood flow. Depending on the tempo and chord progression, music can calm one’s spirit or tug tenderly on your heartstrings. I was reminded recently of one melody that, for me, often prompts a search for Kleenex. Three notes and my eyes […]
-
Woke is Broke
I usually steer clear of too much political opining, but a recent Facebook post by a friend prompted me to ponder in writing what it means to be “woke.” Unless you have been on Mars for the past several years, you know that the verb describing the status of sleep has morphed into an adjective […]
TheBuddyBlog.Com 