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UPON BEING TIRED AND FEARED
This essay is being written for those who trace their birth to nearly pre-historic times. Specifically, it is being written for those of us who have passed the age barrier of 80 so long ago that it must be viewed in the rear view mirror of our lives. Facts are facts and no magic hoopla…
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LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI
As most of you know, my birth place was in a suburb of St. Louis which was seven miles west of the Mississippi River. I am aware that from time to time, the Mississippi has overflowed its banks and has caused considerable harm to the surrounding territories. I remember a flood in 1937 which resulted…
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UPON BEING AWESOME
I have no trouble with neologisms, clever sayings that make their way into the Anglo-Saxon language. But I do have trouble with an affectation which is widely spread among all age groups who speak the American version of the English language. The most recent such word is “awesome.” I have always thought that our exploration…
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REMARKS TO MRS. BRIBER’S FOURTH GRADE CLASS, GLENWOOD SCHOOL
All things considered, I was born in the year of 1922. I had nothing to do with the date that I was born. Those questions were settled by my parents. As it turns out, I was born the seventh child to a family who tended to the fortunes of the Lilac Roost Farm. It was…
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NON-BREAKING NEWS FROM LONG HILL DRIVE
Three non-breaking news items have occurred in recent weeks and they constitute the essence of this essay. In the past few weeks we have been met by an invasion of breaking news from Washington as well as from itinerant politicians. All things considered, the breaking news has had its share of attention. The burden of…
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DECISIONS
As we march through life, there are thousands of decisions that must be made. A high proportion of them are made by ourselves. At the same time, outside forces make many of the decisions for us. All things considered, I would like to have the decision-making made by myself but I know that is an…
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JACK ONLY TALKS TO BIG SHOTS
A week or so ago, Barack Obama, the President of the United States, made a speech in El Paso, Texas on immigration reform. As soon as he could do so, the President got out of El Paso and headed for Austin, the state capitol of Texas. He planned to attend a fund raiser in that…