I'm a strange sort. I'm attracted to sarcasm. I love to use words that mean the opposite of their literal meaning to mock or be humorous. Most people use sarcasm to criticize or insult. I'm not a fan of that. Instead, I use it as “gallows humor” to point out the crazy situations that I... Continue Reading →
Meeting my Hero!
I met a hero of mine. The often quoted advice is that you should never meet your heroes, lest you be disappointed. I met a hero of mine a few months ago and he was kind and caring and better than expected. He reminded me that "not all heroes wear capes" and that we have... Continue Reading →
No talking back!
(The original version of this story ran in September 2022. I've made several updates.) I walked away with tears streaming down my face. I couldn’t have been more than six or seven years old. I turned around to try my case before the judge and jury one more time, but my mom had enough of... Continue Reading →
Politics and Power
The movie The American President was released on this date thirty years ago. For my money, it’s the best movie made about the presidency. There have been others that have touched on politics and power including Dave (1993), Dr. Strangelove (1964), All the President's Men (1976), and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939). But I... Continue Reading →
All in a day’s work
When I think back on my dad's heart attack in 1980, I see everything happening in slow motion. My father in a flannel work shirt lying down on the sofa for a nap. My oldest brother rushing to call the local ambulance. My heart pounding with fear of the unknown. The thing that sticks out... Continue Reading →
Standing up to a bully
When I was in middle school, my friends and I were on the football team and raced from class at the other end of the hall to the locker room. We had to get into our football equipment and out onto the field. Our coaches wanted us on time. They didn't want us to be... Continue Reading →
Looking for a hobby
My wife came home the other day exhausted and drained. She works as a special education teacher and the days can sometimes be tough. Her students were especially rambunctious and were in no mood to be pent up all day. They whined and complained and didn't want to listen. She came home with her head... Continue Reading →
Where it all starts . . .
I write a short blurb down on a piece of paper. It's not much. Just a few scrawled words. If I'm being honest, the handwriting is awful. Just horrible. I’ve been known to exaggerate on occasion. I’m not exaggerating now. If I've been away and haven't looked at the scrawled words, I return and find... Continue Reading →
Burning rubber!
The car's lights shown directly into my eyes. In the dark I could tell the car was coming up fast on me. I knew the road well, but thanks to the dark night and windy road, I kept relatively close to the 45 mph speed limit. On nights like this one deer loved to feast... Continue Reading →

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