On the golf course, I have always been of the mind that if I could just try that shot one more time, that I would get it right during the second go around. Of course in a real match there are no “Mulligans” off the tee box and certainly not during play on the hole. An explanation is really in order. “Mulligans” or “Mullies” as they are sometimes called are “do over shots” in a golf game. In a friendly…
Not long after the final round of the British Open, a golf commentator made this observation about Tiger Wood’s decision to change putters during the middle of the tournament. His quote sounded somewhat like the lyrics from a U-2 song. Here is what he said: Tiger Woods has left more talent residue on his putter grip (whichever putter he is using) than most of us have in our entire bodies. But when things go wrong, he does what we all…
It must be the week to make friends in random cafes. Tuesday morning I chatted with total strangers in Garland’s Waffle House on Interstate 30 just east of downtown Dallas. I spoke early this morning at a law enforcement conference in Brenham, not too far from Houston. On the way home, we stopped to eat at a little mom and pop eatery in the middle of nowhere. The name of the place is the Hiway 77 Café. It is a…
When I was a little boy, I watched the show “Emergency” every single week. I carefully took in every rescue call that characters Roy DeSoto and John Gage took in “Squad 51.” The idea of paramedics serving as first responders at a fire department was a relatively new concept in 1972, when the show originated. My neighbors Colleen and Maureen Burke along with their younger brother John often stopped their playing with me long enough to take in an episode…
My firstborn turns 21 today. That is a pretty big milestone in a person’s life! As recently as last week I referred to him as my #1 son. I was of course referring to birth order. Someone aptly pointed out to me that such use of a number has a ring of preferential treatment to it. In reality, I have three #1 sons. There is my favorite Randall, my favorite Daniel, and my favorite Mitchell. There is no doubt that…
I have never been a big fan of Waffle House Restaurants. Comedian Jim Gaffigan says in one of his stand up routines that if you can imagine a gas station bathroom that sells waffles, then you have been to a Waffle House. Unfortunately that image has remained imprinted on my mind for some odd reason. Waffle House has never been my first choice for a breakfast stop on the road. But yesterday was a notable exception. I had to be…
My traditional Southern mother had a few key vocabulary words that she used on a very regular basis. They were terms that Scarlett O’hara herself no doubt employed. The consistent use of such terminology was a reflection of Southern culture and values. One of those frequently used terms was: impose. Sometimes the noun form imposition was utilized. My mother did not want to impose on anyone. She did want our family to be an imposition. She never asked friends to…
Some dear friends of mine recently met with their high school classmates for a 30 year reunion. I can’t imagine being that old, so it was fun to hear a few stories about their time of reconnecting. As they made final preparations for the big event, I started wondering what it would be like to be with old friends and acquaintances that you have not seen for decades, in some instances. All kinds of images started running through my head. Here…
I recently listed of my all time favorite movies. I like so many movies that I had to formulate categories in order for the list to be more meaningful. Mr. Holland’s Opus is an all time favorite that falls in my classic category. When I was teaching as an adjunct university instructor, I used to watch that movie just before each semester began as a reminder of what I was really supposed be doing. In an early scene in the…
There is such a thing as paternal instinct. And it is very different from its maternal counterpart. Dads are just tuned into a different frequency than moms. When I was at camp last month, being a dorm dad was part of my duties as the Head Men’s Counselor. The director strategically places me in a dorm room at the corner of the building on the first floor. At night I had a bird’s eye view of three boys’ dorms. I…