My Life As A Hobby

“Laughter is the best medicine” is a cliché everyone knows. And it is based on the truth. Studies have shown that laughter relieves stress, releases endorphins, and helps your overall well-being.   But in the case of cancer, I don’t think it’s true. If my doctor wants to treat me with radiation or show me a video of the Three Stooges, I’ll take the radiation every time.   Of course, if you have friends who are comedians, you can count on them to try laughter therapy on you anyway. I’ll admit, I was more than appreciative when Jay Leno gave me a call after hearing about my recent bout with cancer. And I’m thankful that my old writing partner, John Martin, let him know. I wasn’t surprised he reached out. What you see on camera is who he is - a genuine good guy. When my mom was in a serious car wreck, Jay called regularly to check on her. When my oldest son got into some bad trouble, Jay always asked about him. However, when I picked up the phone I knew better than to expec...

  I drifted back into consciousness expecting to see smiling faces; after all, it wasn’t supposed to be major surgery. Yes, they removed a knot on my neck, and yes, they had called it a tumor, but the ultrasound and biopsy indicated everything should be fine, even though the bump, about the size of a deviled egg, was officially classified as “suspicious.” No one seemed worried. We even gave the tumor a name: Tyrone. I was told that after about an hour under anesthesia, with a few precise cuts by my capable surgeon, I’d be on my way home by early afternoon. No problems, aside from my throat, which would feel like two tomcats had fought a death match in there. However, there were problems. Fortunately, I wasn’t aware of them before the slicing and dicing began. But when your post-surgery visit begins with the doctor shaking his head and saying, “Your procedure was one of the most difficult ones I’ve ever done,” everything changes. In that moment, my minor surgery became major surg...

  There are lots of things folks complain about in this day and time.  We use so many cheap, substandard  products from China that aren’t  worth the cardboard they’re shipped in.   Fast food doesn’t even taste like food anymore.  Most of the time it isn’t even fast.  And don't get me started talking about folks who complain about something like a new Superman movie.  Some of them say things like “it wasn’t that realistic.”  I’d like to remind these people that Superman is a comic book character who comes from a planet that never existed.   Maybe the apocalypse is closer than I believed.  This is another story for another time. However, one thing that nobody should complain about, is the medical care we have in the 21st century. We may rightfully gripe about the shortfalls of the healthcare system -  the one that can make the government look efficient, or the ridiculous profiteering that makes it unfair; however, the quality...

                         “Our house is a very, very, very fine house.”                                                                        “Our House”                                             Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young Like so many kids my age, I grew up in a suburban neighborhood. We lived in a red brick house that sat on a large lot, peppered with pines and hardwoods. My parents bought the place on the eastern side of Birmingham when I was about six years old. At first glance, it appeared to be just another house on another street in another subdivision. However, it was much more than that to me. So many of my chi...

                           Me with the Master, Rick Bragg It’s official and it feels weird. So weird, that I dug up my old fraternity jacket to see if it fits. Not even close. I’m sure you are asking why I would do such a thing?  Because after almost a half century, I’m headed back to college - and I do not mean via the computer, aka, “distance learning.” I am actually going back to the campus of the University of Alabama from whence I graduated.  Technically, I’m not enrolling as a student. I’m going to audit a class. That’s a fancy way of saying you get to pay the full price of tuition to sit in the back and listen to someone lecture. I’ll do the work, but I won’t get a grade, which is ok by me. Might’ve been nice to have done it that way the first time I was down there.   The hook for me is the instructor. It’s not just anyone.  The person that’s teaching the course, Advanced Magazine Writing,...

    " I'm late, I'm late! For a very important date! No time to say 'hello, goodbye,' I'm late, I'm late, I'm late!"                              From Alice in Wonderland  I need to vent, so please don’t judge me - just listen. I’ve got a problem with time. And yes, I know some of you are already muttering, “Duh! Everyone your age has a problem with time - there’s not enough of it left!” Very funny. But my issue isn’t about the sand running out of the hourglass. It’s about my wife Carol, and her complete, unwavering disregard for punctuality. Now, I’ll admit I’m not exactly Mr. Atomic Clock myself. But at least I try. I respect the concept of time. I wear a watch and check my phone. Whenever it’s possible, I try to give myself a buffer so that I’m on time.  That’s because to me, there’s nothing worse than sprinting into an event, apologizing for stepping over people in their seats (who ...