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Those Who Pave The Way

In my days of teaching history, part of the curriculum dealt with those who trail-blazed, so to speak. It focused on those who came before us and discovered, invented, recorded and taught those who came after them, hoping to make better lives for them, and then to pass along what they learned and added to so future generations could do the same. I was fortunate, more accurately, blessed, with many opportunities in my life. I’ve been able to be a part of many amazing challenges and events too. Having been able to experience these opportunities, challenges and events, though, ...

Battle For The Big Pond Rages On

The water slipped up to my waist as I wandered out into the pond. The muddy bottom sucked at my toes, requiring a slower, more deliberate pace. Others around me were scattered about, moving in the same ways, slowly and carefully, while scanning the top of the water for the distinct, bright ...

A Different Presidential Candidate

We have a choice! Next presidential election, we don’t have to decide between two big-spending candidates, neither of whom has expressed much interest in limited government. Now, we have a third serious choice. This week, Dr. Jo Jorgensen, a psychology lecturer at Clemson University, won the Libertarian Party’s presidential nomination. OK, I won’t delude myself — a libertarian is unlikely to become president. But Jorgensen’s platform is a refreshing change. She correctly points out that government “is too big, too bossy, too nosy, and way too intrusive.” Of course, ...

You Have Heard All Of These Before

Another Memorial Day has passed. Many visited cemeteries in the days approaching the holiday to tend to graves of family or friends. A few months ago, cemeteries were beautiful yet lonely places. Now they’ve sprung to life with flowers of all sorts. A member of the clergy once said that after a death, all of the firsts are hard. The first Thanksgiving, the first birthday, the first anniversary, and so on. And the first Memorial Day too. If the departed was buried, entombed, or inurned, maybe the monument is in place. Or maybe that will wait for another time. Either way, ...

Let Me Tell You Of The Story

From the outside, it looks much as it has looked for decades, my old, familiar grocery store. But once I go inside, Oh, My! One-way aisles. The COVID lockdown has robbed me of my grocery store. I am a creature of routine. I go first to my left, to the cheeses. I like stinky sharp provolone, four ounces at a time, as a bedtime snack. I buy several half-moon slices of the cheese as my first stop, lest I forget. But now, I cannot go straight down the first aisle, then turn left. I must turn sharp left BEFORE the first aisle, and then turn sharp right to get to the gourmet ...

Jacob Learns Why Larry Locked Himself Up

Part two of our series ended with a clear plan. Jacob is to return for another session with his partner/spouse, Larry. Larry is held up in a hotel room. Jacob’s cry for help may finally be answered. The onus of responsibility is thrust upon his shoulders. A stable marriage has recently been challenged. Something out of the ordinary describes an unfamiliar portrait. Larry, an upbeat man with a great sense of humor has morphed, according to Jacob, his spouse of 20 years, into a depressed unkempt man. Something is happening and Jacob wants to understand what’s happening to the love of ...