All of us have flaws that we try to mask from others. Nobody wants to be an open book for the world to read. This is true of the best and the worst of us. This was no less true of Thomas Jefferson. His home, Monticello, gives us clues as to how he dealt with his inner demons. Monticello might also have something to teach us about ourselves as a nation. Jefferson has been a lifelong fascination for me. I... Read more
I come from a long line of Christians. I grew up in what, in most ways, was a pretty traditional evangelical Protestant household. My mother and father grew up 400 miles apart but in the same denomination. They met, by chance, at a private Christian college run by that denomination. Both my maternal and paternal grandfathers were Bible scholars and Sunday school teachers. My parents were the main leaders of our church youth group for several decades, volunteering countless hours... Read more
Donald J. Trump took the oath of office and was inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States on Friday, January 20, 2017, before a large and supportive audience. The size of the crowd almost immediately became the subject of a controversy. Many in the media reported that the crowds for Trump’s inaugural were considerably smaller than those reported at the 2009 inaugural of President Barack Obama. Whether they were considerably smaller or not is a fact that can... Read more
I have grave concerns about the prospect of Donald Trump as president. If we are all honest with each other, I would suspect most Americans have concerns, even those who voted for him. After all, there has never been such a wild card to win the office. I have concerns about his proposed policies but that would be the case with just about anyone else who had a chance to be elected, too. I can handle differences of opinion about... Read more
Before I type a word of this, I realize that I am running the risk of sounding like a crotchety old curmudgeon shouting down young whipper-snappers to get out of my yard and, perhaps, that’s an accurate description of me but, here goes. Once upon a time, there was this phenomenon known as Hoosier Hysteria. You had to be here and experience it to really understand. In my opinion, if you were born much after say, the early 80s, you... Read more
Nestled into a hollow on a Hawkins County back road in the mountains of Upper East Tennessee is an abandoned old homestead. The former inhabitants were elderly siblings who shared the surname Long, the same name given to the hollow where their property sat and to the narrow, winding gravel road that barely connected them to the outside world. While they were all still living there were four of them, three brothers and one sister, living in the modest, rustic... Read more
The above photo shows the controversial removal of the cross from atop a Christmas tree on a public square in Knightstown, Indiana this week. The controversy swirling around the tree and that cross is just the latest in a long series of such events involving religious symbols on public property…nothing new to see here, but I feel compelled to speak on this one because it hits pretty close to home. I have a lot of friends and family in that area... Read more
A year ago I wrote a blog article called The Best Elton John Songs You Haven’t Heard Forever. In that piece I revealed my preference for the deeper cuts as opposed to those classics that get more airplay. In the last year, I have spent a lot more time revisiting some of my older Elton John catalogue. I have recently moved away from my stable of “go tos” on my digital playlist and dug out some of the old CDs... Read more
When I see toy trains I think of Christmas. The two things just fit together in my mind. When I was a kid, my dad would sometimes set up a toy train set around the base of our Christmas tree. I suppose I played with that train at other times, but in my memory, whenever that train appears, it is Christmas. I rememember being fascinated by elaborate toy train setups in store Christmas displays as a kid, in fact, I... Read more
Empathy Mining
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The Trauma Beneath the Drama
I had a trauma-free upbringing. As I think back upon my childhood, I can’t recall a single truly traumatic thing that happened to me. I was not abused, physically or emotionally. My parents didn’t fight and rarely even had minor arguments. They didn’t drink or do drugs. I don’t even think I ever heard a swear word uttered within the walls of my home. We were not rich, but we didn’t want for anything. Divorce was never even a blip... Read more