I met Chuck during my freshman year of college. He was one a several suite-mates I had that year. My roommate, Don, and I made it the entire year together, but we went through at least four different suite-mates. Paul was from Jackson, Greg from Grosse Pointe, Steve from assorted bars throughout the …
Author: Robert
Bath Mats
I’m not a fan of bath mats. I view throw rugs of any kind as potential disasters. As we age we don’t always pick up our feet when we walk. Some of us tend to shuffle. That was my dad. Several years ago, when my mom was living alone in her apartment, she became ill …
Sergeant Stephen Storm
I was never in the military. Had I been drafted, I would have served. I never considered volunteering. My prime service years coincided with the war in Vietnam. I signed up for the selective service as required when I turned eighteen. Shortly after that I started college and received a student deferment while I continued …
Retired
Four retired men are walking down a street in Yuma , Arizona . They turn a corner and see a sign that says, “Old Timers Bar – ALL drinks 10 cents.” They look at each other and then go in, thinking this is too good to be true. The bartender says in a voice that …
Jay and the Americans
Ruth and I attended a concert last Sunday night. It was a nostalgic walk through the history of Motown. We had a great trip. We knew all of the songs and danced in our seats for the full hour and forty-five minutes. Prior to the concert I stepped into the restroom to prepare for the …
The Hot Gym
My first day as superintendent of Britton-Macon was November 4, 1991. I had been hired at the October 14th Board of Education meeting, but November 4th was my first day on the job. My appointment was on the October agenda so Ruth and I attended the meeting. I had been in the district for my …
A Table Tale
I saw this cartoon the other day and loved it. It reminded me of my youth, my kids, and my grandkids. Snow’s a lot of fun when you’re young. I never took the family card table to build a fort. My kids never took one either, but my grandkids may have. The kids on Edgeworth …
More About the Wesco Station
I got the Mustang back several months before that August interview. It went well, and I was offered a job before I left that night. I would be teaching six sections of seventh grade English, or two sections of geography and four sections of English. Mr. Hindbaugh asked if I had a preference. “Yes, I’d …
The Wesco Gas Station
The summer between my sophomore and junior year at Western, I bought a 1967 Mustang convertible. It was silver with a black top. If I was any cooler after that purchase, I would have been twins. My parents helped me look for the car, arrange for the loan, and added the Mustang to their …
10,000 Steps
Ruth bought me a “step counting” device for Christmas. It will do more than that. It’s a watch, a calendar, keeps track of your heart rate, calories burned, miles traveled, sleep patterns, and numerous other things. I wear it all the time. The package and promo material encourage you to take 10,000 steps each …