My family got our first TV when I was about seven. It had a knob to change channels. There were three choices. Often the screen looked snowy, with wavy lines moving from top to bottom. My father, Vern, bought rabbit ears and moved them all around. The fuzzy snow and wavy …
My daughter, the psychologist, asked me, “Dad, are you getting wiser as you age?” I’m always worried she’s asking me a trick question, one to trip me up in a loving father/daughter sort of way. “What do you think?” I volleyed back. I received no verbal response. All I got …
You should invest in a good reading chair, even if you don’t sit in it very often. Then, if additional money is available, you should go out and buy an expensive floor lamp, one of those that arches over the back of the chair. Put your purchases in a prominent place for all …
I love to play. I always have, first as a little kid, playing kick the can and tag and knocking on my friend Billy’s door asking if he could come out and play. As a teenager I played with basketballs and baseballs, and as a father I played often with my eager children. As …
Until recently, Sherry and I had two cats, Roy M. Quick and Alice Pea Tucker. We got the two tabbies when they were just little puffs of orange motion. Living in the same old house for 18 years, they knew the inner workings of our home better than we did. For many years, …
“I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up!” has become the punchline for many a joke since the television ads began to air in 1990. The original lady at the bottom of the stairs was Edith Fore, who died in August of 1997. I don’t wear a device around my neck, and the ad still freaks …
Looking back, it is apparent I almost lost my ability to age. However, I was given two great gifts. The first is obvious, I’ve been blessed with nearly five additional years on earth to play and work and love and, hopefully, more years to come. The second gift is why I feel …
I open my eyes uncertain of where I am. For a moment, or maybe several minutes, my mind floats across my life. My past screw ups (i.e., sins) fade and drop from my consciousness. Only my goodness comes through, not in specific detail, more like a warm blanket wrapped softly …
It’s October 11th, 2013, and I wait in the lobby of a small hotel near Love Field in Dallas, Texas. I’m headed home to Nevada after a week of work. I feel discomfort in my chest. In the next moment, I am sprawled out on the carpet in the lobby. My chest explodes in ripples …
As I age, I think I grow smarter about who I choose to spend time with. If I could go back in time, I believe I would chase after folks who could mentor me on getting wiser and kinder each day. Those people were all around me, but I think they scared me off. I …
