My Life As A Hobby

I  saw   To Kill a Mockingbird  on television recently - again. It never fails to remind me how magnificent Harper Lee’s book is.  I think it stands up to anything Twain, Steinbeck, or Hemingway ever wrote. She gave us a gift that will give to generations beyond us.  Amazingly, I didn’t read Mockingbird in high school, which doesn’t speak well of my teachers in the English Department.  Instead,  I was in my mid-thirties when I met Atticus Finch. I was mesmerized. I was moved.  It instantly became my favorite book.  And to think it was written by a fellow Alabamian and graduate of the University of Alabama!  Smitten as I was, I began to search for anything I could find about Harper Lee and her book.  To my delight, I learned of an “open secret” -  that autographed copies of the book were generally available at a couple of stores in her hometown. It goes without saying that this immediately went on my bucket list. ...

With the world in such a mess, I just wish we could get someone to report the news objectively.    In the words of an old TV police show, “Just the facts, ma’am”.     Sadly, I don’t think it’s going to happen.    Bias in news stories exists. And before you get all smug and self righteous, let me remind you that it happens on both sides of the political fence. From Fox to MSNBC,    it’s there.    The networks slant the news    to help it fit their perspective on world events. Here’s a personal example that I believe proves my point.  On September 12, 2016 I watched, along with the rest of the country, as San Francisco 49er quarterback Colin Kaepernick knelt alongside teammate Eric Reid during the Star Spangled Banner.    This was Kaepernick’s way to protest    police brutality towards blacks.    It had become a big national news story.   This event had more than ...

“Shoot the son of a bitch!,” my father yelled at the screen. It was embarrassingly clear to everyone in the theatre that Dad was caught up in the movie. But why did he have to scream that out?   I guess most of the people there cut him some slack. Because of his age and the wheelchair, I’m sure many of them figured he was a vet.    They were right.    Nevertheless my wife, my Mom, and myself were ashamed by the outburst.    But I should’ve known something like this might happen when I talked Dad into going to see Saving Private Ryan.   The scene that had such an effect on him was a particularly intense one.    Many of you will recall it -    during a skirmish with the enemy, a GI medic was shot and killed. The victorious Americans took the lone German survivor, and gave him a knife to dig a grave.    Then they planned to exact revenge by shooting him. But Tom Hanks showed mercy and spared his lif...

Forty years is a hec kuva long wait for a tee time. But that’s how much time has elapsed since I played golf with one of my college fraternity brothers, Mike.  When I was  fresh out of college part of my sales territory included Huntsville, Alabama.  So, when I was in town I would  always make it a point to visit Mike and his wife who were working there.   We would try to play golf in the afternoon then drink a couple of beers at his house.    Just two guys in their early twenties beginning families and transitioning from college to the adult world.    Then Mike got transferred. My territory changed. And what’s worse, life began to get in our way. Mortgages, car payments, children, and work became the center of our existence.   Newfound, nearby friends began to push the old, far-away friends to the background. It wasn’t malicious or conscious, but it happened anyway. And so the days melted into weeks, then months, then year...

Ah, nature. There’s nothing like it. Beautiful scenery, fresh air - it’s invigorating, it’s serene - especially if you’re out in it.    That’s my perspective. Or, you can take my wife’s view:    interaction with the great outdoors is uncomfortable at best, and could even lead to a painful death.    I’ve known her feelings about this for a long time. So why I talked her into going tubing on a river is a question I still ask myself many years later.   My friend Mickey Parham got me hooked on tubing.    He had discovered a 3.5 mile stretch of the Locust Fork River, just north of Birmingham. It’s beautiful.    The scenery is jaw dropping - huge boulders, sandy beaches, steep bluffs and even small waterfalls.    The take out point is at a picturesque covered bridge. But this is not always a lazy river beer float. If the water level is low it can relatively peaceful, with a few bumpy stretches.    Howeve...

An old high school friend    of mine died last week. Don fought the good fight against kidney cancer for 8 years. He was funny, full of life, and thought of others.    So many people were touched by him. Just a few weeks ago he read one of my posts about my son and mailed me a prayer towel with a note of encouragement. I was truly moved. No doubt Don practiced his    Christian faith.  Don’s death has caused me to pause and think.    At my age this is becoming a more frequent occurrence. And it will continue. Before my retirement I began to reflect about being in my mid sixties. To me it’s a perfect football analogy. I know at the age of 66, I’m more than likely in the 4th quarter of my life.    I hope it’s the early 4th quarter, but I don’t know.   In football, the 4th quarter usually defines the outcome of the game. Certainly everything leading to the 4th quarter has importance. Many of the key plays that h...

  I want you to know that I am not a communist or a socialist.    For me, it’s free enterprise all the way.      However, recent events have    occurred in my life that make me believe there should be one exception to the free market rule.    Now I firmly believe    there is one industry in this country that a monopoly would    actually improve.     And if we decided to monopolize this industry, it would save countless Americans hours of frustration and millions of dollars.     Yep - I believe there should only be only one company in the United States that manufactures socks.     I make this declaration after going thru my sock drawer for about three hours trying unsuccessfully to match up socks.   How many shades of black are there?    If you look in my sock drawer, a.k.a. the black hole,    you would say about 207.    So...