Country Boy Logic

Christmas: Past, Present, And Always

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Ask anyone, particularly if they are much older, and they will tell you how special Christmas is and has always been to them.

Through listening to their stories plus those you could add, it’s easy to think of Christmas as a wondrous mix of such ingredients as music, decorating a Christmas tree, giving and receiving gifts, having good food and drink, taking the kids to see Santa Claus, and sharing stories and good times against the large and forever relevant backdrop of celebrating the birth of Jesus.

Put it all together and we begin to more fully understand and more … Read the rest “Christmas: Past, Present, And Always”

The One Day For Truly Being Thankful

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Until not too long ago, Thanksgiving was a relaxing yet reverent holiday that at the same time pleasantly ushered in the usual Christmas shopping season. 

Now, however, the first commercial mentions of Christmas are being heard as early as October 1 which tends to not only eclipse Thanksgiving, but even some of the loud and gaudy aspects of Halloween.

Lamentable? Yes, but only a little bit, particularly if we consider that it’s not so much intentional as it is a simple matter of circumstance. That’s because Thanksgiving has its own unique traditions (the turkey dinner and all the associated stories), … Read the rest “The One Day For Truly Being Thankful”

The Casual-Serious State Of The Nation

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We just had a national election and depending upon one’s political leanings, the feelings of everyone out there from big cities to wide open spaces range from glad to mad and maybe even sad. 

As for me and right now, I’ve taken refuge in an easy chair from which I can look through a window and see a sky filled with both sun and dark clouds, trees sporting dashes of fall color, and two squirrels busily looking for still more food to stash away for winter meals. 

All of it seems to come together to ease my brain into neutral, … Read the rest “The Casual-Serious State Of The Nation”

Supremely And Illogically Logical

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In nearly complete darkness, I taxied the jet fighter slowly down the taxiway that paralleled the main runway. Already, I had begun to appreciate the beast, a highly sophisticated blend of the electronic and mechanical resulting in a powerful instrument of destruction.

I made the turn and we both paused a few seconds, then began accelerating down the runway. The runway centerline lights became a blur, then we rose so quickly the runway dropped away as if it were suddenly collapsing. The altimeter began winding upward — 2, 7, 14, and finally topping out at 22,000 feet. I held it … Read the rest “Supremely And Illogically Logical”

A Peek Into Another Happening

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I was having coffee when I noticed the person in the next booth. 

What at first had appeared to be a featureless lump of humanity was actually a Black guy wearing a dark shirt and pants. Pulled up around his neck was the collar of an even darker jacket. 

In front of him in somewhat orderly fashion were several sheets of paper on which were columns of handwritten words and numbers. An already pushed-aside empty soft drink container indicated he had been there a while.

He was scrunched so far down in the seat and leaning so far forward that … Read the rest “A Peek Into Another Happening”

Gathering The Stars Of A Lifetime

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Although the details have long ago disappeared in the mist of time, I clearly remember a very large painting hanging in a museum in Europe.

Against a dark blue and star filled sky was a youthful lady with long and beautiful hair. She was wearing a flowing gown. Her right arm was outstretched with fingers ready to pluck one of the stars from the sky while her left hand gripped a wicker basket that already contained two of them.

I could only wonder what caused the artist to create such an image. That’s when I added my imagination to the … Read the rest “Gathering The Stars Of A Lifetime”

An Imagined Conversation

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I don’t mean to interrupt, but I have a question.

You’re not interrupting at all. What’s on your mind?

Well, on some mornings I come here for coffee and sometimes you are here too. Each time, you are nearly always smiling when you meet or are talking to someone or at least you seem to be smiling. Not big and wide, but just enough for me to notice. So, to put it bluntly, is it real?

Yep, it is. No way would I just paste it on. It comes from deep inside. It definitely is the real me.

Okay, I … Read the rest “An Imagined Conversation”

Logic’s Sad Side

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We see them nearly every day — seek their shade, park or sit under them, sometimes climb them, look for their spring blooms and fall colors.

Trees.

Joyce Kilmer wrote, “I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree.” It’s a reminder of what we already know but seldom stop to think about. 

That’s especially true of all the trees around our homes, in parks, and along roadways. Exceptional are the famous redwood trees in California. To that, we must add the untold millions of trees that begin with a single seed, then manage to survive … Read the rest “Logic’s Sad Side”

The Demon Called Speed

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Consider this astonishing fact: Only about two lifetimes ago, we could go no faster than the horse we were riding. Also, we rarely needed to use the word “instantly” because even when conditions favored it, few situations required it. 

To compare those qualities of yesterday with those of today is nearly impossible. The faster we are, the more we encourage or force others to do the same. Those wants are eventually considered needs, a happening that spreads outwardly to seep into every aspect of daily living. Consider how profoundly “fast food” has affected the restaurant industry and how such phrases … Read the rest “The Demon Called Speed”

A Wheezing Whizzer

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That’s what I would have called it, a two-wheeled powered scooter type of toy sitting outside the coffee shop defying anyone to call it less than a grown up.

As I entered, I looked for the likely rider, a studious type kid with sunglasses and long hair, or maybe somebody having all the outward appearance of being a daredevil in the making. None of the few inside even came close to either description. So passing it off as another one of life’s incidentals, I got my coffee and settled in with an article in the latest issue of Writer’s Digest… Read the rest “A Wheezing Whizzer”