COVENANT

I’ve never been much for promises.  Probably from growing up in a devoutly fundamentalist household that staunchly drilled into me the concept of, “let your yes mean yes, and your no mean no.”  I haven’t held onto everything of that nature I was taught, but some of it has a way of digging in deep, and tends to stick ( Read more... )

BLACK LIVES MATTER

I’ve been reading the “also” or “too” vs. “only” debate about the “campaign slogan” of this movement for several weeks now, across multiple sources online, and I haven’t weighed in, because I know that when I first heard of their tagline, my initial, knee-jerk, emotional gut reaction was to think, “Now, hey, wait a minute ( Read more... )

Once Upon A Time…

We all have our secrets.  Some, we keep to ourselves, either solely for our own amusement, or to save us from the shame of...


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The Road Not TakenI don’t really think of my Dad as the outdoorsy type.  Oh, sure, up until he and my Mom downsized to a condo and moved out of the country a couple years ago, he still mowed all ¾ acres of the old house yard behind a push mower.  At 70.  And, I guess, come to think of it, there were plenty of family camping trips for all of us when ( Read more... )

Stomping Grounds

My brother is a cop in the district where I live. He’s the third of my 4 big brothers (I also have 1 younger brother), and it feels good when he tells me, as he did by text this morning (he works the late night shift and gets off at 8am - his choice... it’s where he gets the most action, and, well, a lot of cops are in it for the ( Read more... )

THE Simple Life

Our new home is a work in progress; there is much to do.  I see you struggling with what to tackle first.  Clearly, you’re overwhelmed.  I take your hand, calm your nerves, and we make a list of what should be done when.  I strategize, prioritize, and dream of our future.  At the beginning, I can tell you don’t understand it all, ( Read more... )

Silent Spirit

I’m not sure I necessarily ascribe to the stock summary statement that “everything happens for a reason.”  I think some people say this when they don’t know what else to say... when, clearly, there’s no apparently evident reason to be found.  These are situations where folks are fishing to create meaning out of circumstances that seem ( Read more... )

Shrugging

You wouldn’t think it would make that much of a difference.  Not til it starts to add up, anyway. And, over time, it does add up.  Not for most people, at least, not as much, probably, but for me... well... it’s been quite a while, so the accumulation is a little more expansive than one might normally see over your average lifespan. ( Read more... )

One In Every Bunch

Uncle Jack* was the only son born to Meemaw Fogerty after previous attempts at carrying on his name gave her husband four daughters, whom he christened Francine, Claudine, Justine, and Pauline - just so that he could call them by boys’ names, since he didn’t have any proper male heirs.  Of course, the girls never answered to “ ( Read more... )

Comforts of Home

1956
It was the “Golden Age” of American history.  The realization of the American Dream: The nuclear family as a classic model of aspiration, in which Mom, Dad, 2.5 kids and a dog share a home in the suburbs with a white picket fence, where Dad brings home a solid annual income that supports the entire family, while Mom sees the ( Read more... )