We played in the sandbox together. We formed the “Willow Club.” Girls were very reluctantly allowed full membership. The fact is girls even played football with us. I of course had a Bart Starr #15 jersey to wear on such occasions. We constructed elaborate forts adjacent to the shore of Lake Michigan. And as we grew up, we rode our bikes to Shoop Park with our golf bags on our shoulders. We played basketball at the Wind Point Elementary playground…
I met a number of people during my years as an undergraduate student that grew up in rural West Texas communities. Some of those individuals were raised on farms and ranches in places where the closest town with a grocery store was over 60 miles away. I think it is safe to say that the vast majority of those individuals were completing their degrees in anticipation of never, ever returning to country life. Their mentality was: get me out of here!…
Consider the source…I have heard that phrase before. When my blood pressure is elevated because of a major irritation, my friends urge me to consider the source. The implication is that we can dismiss critical comments or insensitive remarks from people that lack credibility in our eyes. Such a conclusion makes perfect sense to me. But maybe I am wrong? I really had to admit this at all, but I honestly believe there is a grain of truth in the…
I don’t normally find myself wondering around stores in the women’s swimsuit section. But I could not help but notice a sign placed near the main aisle of one of my favorite retailers advertising swimwear that extols the perceived advantage of “embellishment.” At first glance I laughed to myself. I was thinking: Women can’t just buy any swimsuit. They need one that embellishes certain parts of their anatomy. But I soon quit laughing, because I understand the term “embellish” all…
This morning I completed my 5th year as the Head Men’s Counselor and Dorm Dad for Camp Zenith. Zenith is geared for 9th-12th grade students. Every year I come to camp with a desire to learn something from the kids I am serving that is meaningful. I have never been disappointed. Most of the lessons I glean are not new. They are just not so subtle reminders of what teens really need from adults. Every year there are students that…
It was a terribly hot Friday afternoon in July of 1992. I suppose all Friday afternoons in Wichita Falls, Texas are terribly hot in July…I was enjoying a glass of tea along with some chips and salsa with some friends when I was paged to the ER at was then Wichita General Hospital. A lady in her late 20’s rode on the ambulance as paramedics strived to revive her husband, who had collapsed at their home in a few moments…
Father’s Day is over. Yesterday there was a table in the restaurant next to us with a group of adults lavishing gifts on dad. It appeared that they value the gentleman who was on the receiving end of their generosity. I received some pretty strong response to my blog about Father’s Day. It came from friends whose dads bailed ship during their formative years. When I was in elementary school, I don’t recall very many of my friends at Wind…
Father’s Day is day after tomorrow. It has been a day of mixed blessings for me for a long time now. My own father has been deceased since 1978. That really is a long time… But I have been a father since 1989. And that too is a long time. Mixed blessing is thus a descriptive phrase. This year is going to be different. I have formulated a list of things that must or must not be done on this…
Father’s day is next weekend. Be sure and take care of your father next weekend, and if he’s no longer with you, take a moment to reflect on all the things he did for you. One of my friends posted that thought in their facebook status a week or so ago, so I saved it. I saved it because it occurred to me that I have never taken the time to express in specific terms all of the things he…
Jeff was training for the Olympics. He was on the verge of becoming an Olympian runner when unforeseen circumstances derailed his dream. An unexpected injury permanently dashed any hopes of Olympic competition. He was still able to run, but he was not in a position to compete at that level. I cannot imagine the disappointment he felt. His life plans shifted in an entirely different direction. He decided to go into law enforcement. I don’t know how many agencies he applied with, but…