The coffee was weak, my toast was burnt, and my omelet tasted bland. My wife’s breakfast wasn’t much better—her crêpes looked soggy and lumpy. That’s not all. The restaurant was loud and had a strange echo and a cold breeze shook me every time a customer opened the door. Despite the food and the surroundings,... Continue Reading →
Twas’ the Night before Christmas & the rest of the story
In Clement Clarke Moore’s memorable poem, “Twas' the Night Before Christmas,” the house was quiet as can be, the stockings were hung by the chimney with care and the children were all nestled in their beds – in the hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there. Moore, an ancient languages scholar, wrote the poem... Continue Reading →
Favorite Christmas moments
The service department manager had his cellphone up to his ear, but kept cracking jokes under his breadth to the worker standing next to him about the computer system being down again. The worker just smiled and kept looking at his own screen. Unlike the two of them, I wasn’t smiling. I had my car... Continue Reading →
Missing a few family members
When I was a young kid, I stumbled across the black-and-white 1947 movie, Miracle on 34th Street, starring Maureen O’Hara, John Payne, and a young Natalie Wood. My parents weren't home and instead of watching football late on a Sunday afternoon, I started watching the movie. I fell in love with the plot right away,... Continue Reading →
Getting the doctor’s diagnosis: Live like you were dying
The dentist came into the room with a copy of my dental x-ray in his hand. He gave me a big smile, that actually made me more nervous than calm, and went out of his way to promote the benefits of the practice’s 360-degree panoramic x-ray machine. He explained how the x-ray shows all the... Continue Reading →
New challenges
I walked into work distracted and annoyed. I had been working for my hometown newspaper for more than a year. I had a million things on my mind. I nearly knocked over one of the press workers that I passed in the hall. Another coworker held a door open for for me and I walked... Continue Reading →
On second thought . . .
I think I might have spoken too soon. The guy got out of his work truck and started walking toward the convenience store. He had paint and grime up and down his pants and he took long, slow steps that seemed to take everything he had. He looked tired and all business, but when he... Continue Reading →
Wizard of Oz moments: We’re not in Kansas anymore!
When I finished signing my name on what seemed like the hundredth document, I couldn’t help but let out a little giggle. I should explain, there was nothing giddy or even happy-go-lucky about the laugh. It was more of a “what in God’s good name have we done?” snicker. And then I let out another... Continue Reading →
A walk in paradise
A small brook wanders through the woods. I step across a bridge that crosses the brook, look down and feel a calmness take over. I imagine falling asleep later in the evening to the sound of the churning water. I could stay and watch the brook forever, but I need to catch up with my... Continue Reading →

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