Author Archives: site author

Several decades ago I was in a Toastmasters club to improve my public speaking. I heard lots of good speeches, but one stands out. I have leaned on it several times over the years. It was given by my friend Peggy and was about personal responsibility and handling blame regarding a situation in which sheContinue reading “Who Did What?”

Learning to say no has become an important skill for me. I struggled with it for many years. I hated being put on the spot by others and often said yes regarding their requests, when I really wanted to say no. I finally came up with a response to those who made it hard toContinue reading “No”

We got a new dog in February after the passing of Skippy, who was so incredibly obedient from the very first day he rescued us. I had to learn how to train a dog again. One of the most important commands is stay. Trixie wants to please and learned it quickly. I use a similarContinue reading “Stay”

Teaching small children how to play basketball is an interesting experience. They like to run with the ball, so one of the first things is explaining that they have to dribble if they move their feet. However, that creates another problem, being stationary when they stop bouncing the ball. They take that seriously, so it’sContinue reading “Pivot”

When I was a small child I liked to play Houdini. I’d get my sister to tie me up and then I would escape. I was good at it. That all came to an end when both of my sisters hogtied me. I couldn’t get loose and got really upset. My parents put an endContinue reading “The Gordian Knot”

Father’s day is one of my favorite holidays, mostly because I like being a daddy so much. My wife and daughters have done many things to make it special. Right now I’m going to mention Fathers Day 2014. My favorite basketball team, the San Antonio Spurs, were playing the Miami Heat in the NBA finals.Continue reading “The Beautiful Game”

In southern states many kids attend something called cotillion. Sheldon Cooper from the Big Ban Theory defines it as “a process that teaches preadolescent children social graces and dance skills needed to function in 18th century Vienna.” We didn’t have cotillion in my hometown, but we did have Mrs. Laird’s ballroom dance lessons. Against myContinue reading “Dancing Backwards”

One of my favorite movies is Broadcast News. The setting is a network news office. It’s about the ethics and personalities of three cast members. I discussed it with my friend Bill, who has been in the new business for years. He said he wasn’t able to tell who was the hero and who wasContinue reading “The Whole Enchilada”

I have been volunteering at a local food pantry. People from the community can get a shopping cart of food once a month. There is no qualification needed except to live in the area. Volunteers walk through the pantry with the shoppers, letting them know the limit of various items. A wide variety of peopleContinue reading “Stay in Your Lane”

Raising cattle on the Texas coastal plains presented two overriding hazards, snakes and getting stuck in the mud. I looked at the ground when I walked to watch for snakes. I also carried a long chain in the back of the truck in case I got stuck, which happened often. Getting stuck gave me aContinue reading “5 x 5”