Musings
Lead Like A Mother
My mother is an amazing person, as I am sure yours is. I am certain I have no idea what she thinks about herself deep down in the secret place of her being that only she can visit. I can imagine many of the ways she views herself, because they coincide with roles she fills…
Read MoreThe Middleman
I spent a significant portion of my life doing things to avoid emotional pain. A couple days ago, I caught a lyric from a new single by Twenty One Pilots. In their song, “Choker”, lead singer Tyler Joseph sings, “pain is just a middleman.” That is a really concise way to describe what it took…
Read MorePebbles In Our Shoes
I used to run. A lot. At one point my running partners and I were doing 200-mile relays with four people and competing in 100-mile individual races. I learned something very important during this time of my life. It’s the little things that matter. Often it isn’t the mountains ahead that wear you out, it’s…
Read MoreIn Dreams Begin Responsibilities
Delmore Schwartz wrote “In Dreams Begin Responsibilities” in 1937 when he was only 23. Though he wrote for the rest of his turbulent life, he was plagued by alcoholism and mental illness and unable to match his early success. As a result of alcohol and drug abuse, he died alone and mostly forgotten in 1966.…
Read MoreWalking In The Light
Walking early in the morning, I have noticed how the color of things around me changes as the sun begins to rise. When it is still mostly dark with just a hint of light in the eastern sky, the colors I can see are muted. In the circle around a streetlamp, everything is tinted with…
Read MoreMowing The Grass
I mowed my lawn again this weekend. Actually, it was Friday, but many people consider that the beginning of the weekend, so I think that counts. I have cool season grass in my backyard, and this time of year it grows like crazy. It really needs mowing twice a week to keep it in any…
Read MoreRisky Business
If you know anything about Oklahoma, you know that the state is known for its tornadoes. Oklahoma is the center of Tornado Alley, a stretch of the central part of the United States between the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains, and often ranks at or near the top for total number of tornadoes, total…
Read MoreYou Don’t Get To Pick
I had the amazing opportunity to visit with a class of business students at Oklahoma Baptist University last Friday. I love talking with college students. They are intense, brave, curious, and not easy to impress. They will listen to what you have to say, but they will question you too and make up their own…
Read MoreWhat Could Be Sew Hard?
I and three dear friends of mine got a rare opportunity this weekend. We got to visit an artist’s studio and work under her direction in her medium and style. Irmgard Geul is from the Netherlands where she was born and raised not far from Amsterdam. Her art is both abstract and impressionistic and much…
Read MoreWhen A Win Isn’t
My youngest son and I went to the Big 12 Wrestling Championships this past weekend. We got to watch the best wrestlers in the Big 12 and we got to watch wrestlers from schools other than OSU also. If you are not from Oklahoma, then you probably don’t understand the rivalry between our two primary…
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