On The Rocks

It had been another day of driving on western roads, the kind where what looked so close up ahead was actually much farther away.

I finally quit at 5 o’clock not because I was ready to call it a day but rather because the distance to the next town was too great. Even then, it wasn’t much more than one of those “wide place in the road” communities with a sign that says: Welcome! We are glad to see you! and another sign that says: Come back again!

There was one motel. A bell on the counter summoned an elderly … Read the rest “On The Rocks”

An Unprecedented Happening

Yes, what I am about to describe to you has never happened before.

I am writing this at 3 A.M. on Wednesday. My latest column about timing was posted early yesterday and by late afternoon I had already received a note from a reader in Arizona who told me how much she enjoyed reading the column. 

Fast forward to a few minutes ago deep in the middle of the night when my sub-conscience confirmed that yes, it was a good column except I hadn’t gone far enough. That is, as soon as one recognizes that the time is right, it’s … Read the rest “An Unprecedented Happening”

Hanging Loose While Pulling Tight

No one lived up to that title better than Wade, a guy I met while serving in the U.S. Army. He began the day happy, and insisted on staying that way until the lights went out that night. There was nothing fake about those smiles or him. As a person, he was genuine.

That, however, was only half the story. Although he often laughingly and sometimes with a dash of daring tried to put elastic into a normally hard and fast rule, he never broke one. Fact is, he cast a dim view toward anyone who did.

Looking at Wade … Read the rest “Hanging Loose While Pulling Tight”