From Tents to Neighbors: Why “What Do You Need?” Changes Everything
Camping has changed. We used to call it camping when we threw a questionable tent in the back of the car, grabbed a cast-iron skillet, packed some hot dogs, Cheetos, tea, soda, maybe a few potatoes, and hoped somebody actually caught a fish. Usually…
“Neglected, Not Gone”: Why the Good Old Days Are Less About Nostalgia and More About Faith
Every now and then, a song will sneak up on you. I was thinking about that old Judds song, “Grandpa,” and the line about the good old days. At first, it is easy to think the song is talking about old cars, dirt roads, front porches, and simpler times.…
“That’s a Little Spicy”: A Cautionary Tale of Red Pepper Flakes, Pride, and Poor Kitchen Decisions
Tonight’s dinner started like any other, with a sigh and the familiar question: What is on the menu? I hate waste, and there were some pinto beans waiting in the refrigerator. I figured they could be dressed up a little and thrown onto a…
Defeating the Dairy Demon: A Grocery Trip Lesson in Moderation
This afternoon, during a trip to the local grocery store, I discovered that sometimes your list may fail. Guys, it is okay to go off script from time to time. I pulled into the parking lot, and what did I see? Eight spaces near the door, open and…
Mares Eat Oats
“Mares eat oats and does eat oats and little lambs eat ivy. A kid’ll eat ivy too, wouldn’t you?” Hi. My name is Wayne. I am sixty-four years old. And in this moment, I realized the kid is a baby goat. Not a child. Not some strange little ankle biter…
Trying to Find Their Way Home
Pull up a chair. This one is being written by your old uncle, the one you rarely speak to, and that may be too bad because you might have missed something. He is a little strange, sure. Around here, we call him Disco Grandpa. He has been known to chair…
Finding Your Way Home
Give me a partially washed-out dirt road with gravel on the side. Not a perfect road. Not a smooth road, or one of those polished streets with painted lines and lights telling everybody exactly when to stop and go. Give me the old dirt road. The one with…
When The Pond Woke Up
When I was a boy, there were places that looked empty most of the year. Dry ponds. Cracked dirt. Low spots in the field that held nothing but dust, weeds, and the memory of water. You could walk past them and think there was nothing there worth noticing.…
A Letter to My Siblings: The Old Coat in the Trunk
Dear brothers and sisters, I have been thinking about an old song “O Death.” It has that ancient Holler sound similar to that I grew up with. It is thought to have been written in and around 1902-1910 attributed to Baptist Minister Lloyd Chandler. But…
Just Another Day
If it can be messed up, I will manage to do it. I do not say that as a complaint. At this point in life, it is almost a skill set. Some people have hobbies, whereas I have field experience in things going sideways. This morning started early. Not noble…