Over the past year, I have grown weary of hearing politicians, on both sides of the aisle, spew forth mean and vile language that has no place in the public discourse. Their angry rhetoric reminds me of two kids fighting in a mud puddle. Everyone gets dirty. Is anyone else tired of all this potty … Continue reading Potty Talk
I believe in absolute truths. When my oldest son was nine years old, he thought he would play Superman and jump off the roof of our garden shed. Halfway way down, he suddenly realized he was about to give a personal, painful demonstration of the law of gravity. Just as there are physical principles that … Continue reading Quenching the Flames of Resentment
It was January 1969, and I had started dating the teenage girl who would eventually become my wife. That year found me hanging around the Smith household many evenings, weekends, and just as often as Mom and Pop Smith would allow this lovestruck teenager to linger. My future mother-in-law often enjoyed a cup of coffee … Continue reading Drinking from My Saucer
Four-letter words have a bad rap. A synonym for cussing for as long as I can remember, speaking one of these bawdry four-letter words in my youth always resulted in a certain mouth being washed out with a bar of soap. It is only a wicked coincidence that the word “soap” also possesses a mere … Continue reading In Defense of Four-Letter Words
“The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.” Max DePree, American Businessman. “The number one factor in job satisfaction is not the amount of pay but whether or not the individual feels appreciated and valued for the work they … Continue reading The Dignity of Work – Part III The Power of Appreciation
Mark Twain is said to have quipped, “Find a job you enjoy doing and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.” Few would argue with the premise of that statement. Most of us would also agree that finding a job you love to do is not always easy. What about those jobs … Continue reading The Dignity of Work – Part II Finding Joy in Work or Why My Wife Wanted to Be a Garbage Man
Every time I hear any discussion about the dignity of work, I think of the movie “The Legend of Bagger Vance.” Set in Depression-era Georgia, the story is about a Savannah man named Hardy reflecting on his love of golf, as he flashes back to a game of golf played in his youth between Bobby … Continue reading The Dignity of Work and the Indignity of Job-Shaming
Newsflash! There is growing evidence that the way to a woman’s heart is through her coffee cup. Yep, I think I have stumbled across a previously unknown factor in the male-female dynamic. A new axiom that will forever change the way marriage counselors ply their trade. Henceforth, husbands will be told in no uncertain terms……..”There … Continue reading The Cha-Ching of Coffee
I have no idea what it is like to be separated from your wife during a time of war. My wife Kathryn Patrice and I have never spent more than three days apart. My late wife Mary and I never spent more than two weeks apart. Maybe that’s why I found a 1940’s note by … Continue reading The Dutch Code in Love and War
If you see a Southern Baptist Church on every street corner, a Dollar General every few blocks, and a Waffle House at every major intersection, fear not, you are not lost. You are probably cruising through the great state of Georgia. Down here, you can Eat, Pray, and Shop without leaving your neighborhood. In the … Continue reading Living Southern: Scattered, Smothered, and Covered
