A Not Very Stable Writer
TheChief Freezing Time in Memphis Retirement, they say, means every day is a day off. But somehow, that never quite feels true. Still, when snow covers the Mid-South and the city shuts down, even I give myself permission to pause. Today is one of those rare Memphis snow days—an unexpected gift wrapped in white. The pond … Read more
When fear becomes so normalized that we call it “daily life,” something is deeply broken. It’s just another day in Memphis. Another shooting. Or two. Or five. It’s gotten so familiar we’ve stopped flinching. The news cycle barely has time to keep up. It’s no longer a question of if there will be violence—it’s a … Read more
Running faster than lightning across a field. Chasing a squirrel. Watching the ducks on the pond. Shooting whirligigs into the air. Making homemade pizza and the mess that goes with them. Reading Dr. Seuss at the dinner table. Enjoying another visit with the grandkids – a moment of what life should be. A reminder of … Read more
Getting the Wife’s Permission to Live Inbox Roulette Yesterday’s anesthesia fog hadn’t lifted when my email lit up with the ultimate “We’ve been trying to reach you” pitch: burial insurance.Perfect timing, right? Fresh stitches, a pain pump still humming, and now someone wants me to price out my exit strategy. After twenty years of outliving … Read more
Thirteen days. That’s all that separates paychecks from a hard pause and national parks from fresh “Closed” signs—because the Brats on the Hill can’t color inside the budget lines. Another government shutdown looms, and America’s patience is permanently on back‑order. One Job, Zero Progress Congress has exactly one mandatory duty: keep the government funded and … Read more
Early Tee Time on the Tenth Green It’s a postcard-perfect May morning: mid-70s, zero humidity, sunlight bouncing off the 10th green across the pond beyond my deck. Any sane golfer would already be lacing up spikes. I, however, am nursing joints that snap like bubble wrap and wondering if I can even hoist the clubs … Read more
(November 28 – December 11, 2022) When the Walgreens screen lit up “POSITIVE,” I knew my long-running streak of Covid dodgeball was done. After two years of caregiving, masking, and lecturing my grandkids on “Papa’s special germs,” the virus finally tagged me—24 hours before a scheduled colonoscopy, no less. (Silver lining: that particular probe got … Read more
If only we could all be this way Yesterday was another crazy day in the life of a grandparent. With the joys of being privileged enough to have one, my wife and I are blessed with two. A four-year-old granddaughter and a two-year-old grandson. They are both amazing and despite exhausting papa on every visit, … Read more
Prediction Under a Blood Moon: Why Bipartisanship Flat-lined — and What the Election Results Just Confirmed Originally drafted on Election Day (Nov 8, 2022); updated with certified 2022 mid-term outcomes. When that crimson eclipse slipped below the horizon I wrote that the night would deepen—rather than heal—America’s political fracture. The Lugar Center’s Bipartisan Index already … Read more
(For my brother, October 27 2021) The 2021 World Series has just begun, and some friends think I’m delusional for picking the Braves to win it all. I’m not. They simply don’t know about the secret weapon Atlanta carries into every inning: my brother, now cheering from the bleachers of heaven. The Ultimate Braves Fan … Read more