My friend and mentor Frank Tate told me that as he aged, he often barely slept at night. When this happened, he would put his head back on the pillow and think of all the fun and frightful experiences he encountered in his rich history. Last night, not able to sleep, I …
As I age, feelings of ambivalence have become a bigger and bigger part of my life. You would think at the rich age of 75, I’d know for certain what I want. That’s not the case for me. It seems the more I study and evaluate a situation, the more uncertain I become. It’s not …
Washoe Valley, Nevada, is known as a wind tunnel. Drivers passing through are often stopped because of the gales from the west that scream down the Sierra mountains. From time to time, the wind drops an abundance of snow at my door, like a shining gift from the dark clouds …
I need help. I’ve been losing more than my share of arguments. I’m being bested at work, with combative friends and in the neighborhood fence wars. Looking back over my 75 years, I’ve prided myself on being persuasive. Others may need to use deceptive strategies to seek …
I’ve been thinking about ups and downs across my life. It took me decades to share some of the “down” experiences with the people closest to me. What I’ve learned is, many of us suffered indignities while growing up. I was sexually assaulted three times before reaching …
I’m getting too old to accept all these newfangled ideas. Early in my life, streets that bumped into other streets created an intersection. If the two streets were not busy ones, drivers were smart and courteous enough to figure out which vehicle or buggy had the right of …
Is there anyone who really believes Saint Peter will be at the pearly gates to quiz us on whether we deserve to enter? I have only known two people who bought this whole package. One was my mother. She had taken a course called “elocution” in high school. In her final year …
I count myself fortunate to have seen generations of dogs, the senior experienced canines passing on their personalities and responsibilities to the little tykes that follow. The photo above is of Billy Bragg (black) mentoring Zack Adams (white) in the way of PLAY BALL. It …
I do a lot of dishes at our house. I’m pretty good at it. However, once in a while, when Sherry gets bothered by some little misstep by me, she takes a water glass down from the cupboard and examines it by the sunlight coming through our kitchen window. Anyone experienced at …
Nobody knows what I’m talking about but when a photographic opportunity pops up today, I always shout, “Get your camera, Vern!” I used to hear this phrase when my mother would see something that few folks recognized as memorable. She would shout, “Get your camera, …
