“My friends were little men—like the Führer himself. These ten men were not men of distinction. They were not men of influence. They were not opinion-makers. Nobody ever gave them a free sample of anything on the ground that what they thought of it would increase the sales of the product. Their importance lay in … Continue reading Significance
Tag: life
Yoh…
My great grandmother was from “the old county.” What that country was has been a matter of some conjecture. Family tradition at one time said it might be Ukraine, or somewhere between there and Russia, because great grandma spoke a Russian dialect and went to a Russian Orthodox church. And many people who lived in … Continue reading Yoh…
220: The Way Home
If you travel to Montoursville, Pennsylvania, chances are you will drive on US 220. For me, this was the way “home.” Travelling east on Interstate 80 from western Pennsylvania, take the exit near Mackeyville, and pass by Mill Hall, Lock Haven, Avis, Jersey Shore, Linden, Duboistown, and Williamsport, then arrive in Montoursville, the town I … Continue reading 220: The Way Home
Toys
When we were kids, dad built an HO-scale train layout. He also liked building engines and railcars from kits and was a friend of Mr. English, who owned Bowser Manufacturing (a well-known model train supplier in our hometown). The layout was not as elaborate as those we might see at model train shows. It was … Continue reading Toys
Fault Lines
Whenever my grandfather had enough of his grandchildren, the television, or just people in general talking too much, he would remark, “Yack, Yack, Yack…” as if words – the noises we make with our mouths and vocal cords – would ever solve anything. James 3:3-6 issues a stern warning: “When we put bits into the … Continue reading Fault Lines
A Lenten Meditation
When I was little, my grandma called me her “joy boy.” To be fair, I was the first grandchild, so I had that going for me. Grandma taught Sunday School to little kids and even drove a few to Emannuel Baptist Church. Their parents didn’t have the means, but Grandma cared about them and set … Continue reading A Lenten Meditation
Categories
“There are 10 kinds of people in the world. Those who understand binary numbers and those who do not.” Math jokes aside, anyone who thinks there are only two kinds of people in the world is mistaken, if not delusional. It might sound good to divide the world into two parts – saints and sinners, … Continue reading Categories
Control and Chaos
The father was right. There must be rules around the house. Children must obey their parents. Speak when spoken to. Come when they’re called. Pick up their toys. Clean their room. Do their homework. Don’t run in the house. Do their chores. Don’t talk back to their mother. Eat their vegetables. Ask for permission. Stop … Continue reading Control and Chaos
Stories Run Wild
Ursula Le Guin referred to works of fiction as thought experiments. Her concept fits my attempts to tell stories. Le Guin also suggested that all fiction is metaphorical. It seems to me science fiction is often an allegory about “real life,” whatever that is. Much like geometric proof, science fiction postulates possible outcomes, based on … Continue reading Stories Run Wild
The Peace Pipe
“This will give you peace of mind,” the ad said. “What is peace of mind, anyhow,” Mort wondered. Every automobile and appliance Mort had purchased ended up disappointing him, even the expensive ones. To Mort, the saying, “you get what you pay for,” usually meant that paying more only bought more headaches, more hassle, more … Continue reading The Peace Pipe
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