October 24, 2020
Is America really more divided than ever? I could cite a few examples, right off the top of my head, that would cast doubts upon that oft-repeated (as of late) claim. During the American Revolution, there was a sharp divide between those who fought for independence from the king and those who remained loyal to
In this time of isolation, the sound of a train recently connected me to places where I have traveled across my lifetime. Since childhood, there has been something particularly magical about the experience of traveling by train. For me it’s an instant connection to distant places, a romantic nostalgia for bygone times, and a sense
Within the last few weeks, Hall of Fame pitchers Tom Seaver, Bob Gibson, and Whitey Ford were each called home by the baseball gods, as was Gibson’s Hall of Fame Cardinal teammate Lou Brock. For baseball fans in St. Louis and New York, the loss of these legends is particularly painful. Tom Seaver won more
Looking up at October’s full moon, still bright in the predawn light, it is impossible not to think about the activity that goes on across the Midwest during harvest season. For me, there is a connection that goes back to the first time that I witnessed a wheat harvest under a blue moon in the
Sometimes I feel like I’m a songwriter trapped in a newspaper columnist’s body. Songwriters and opinion writers actually have quite a bit in common. Both write to express how they feel about a wide variety of subjects ranging from world affairs to personal relationships and from fast cars to pick-up trucks. Songs and opinion pieces
On the first night of October 2020, a “Harvest” full moon shone as bright as a giant lantern that had broken free from its earthly bonds. The next morning as Kit and I set out on our morning walk, the brilliance of the moon and stars began to fade with the approaching dawn. At that
It’s official: I am a grandparent! Last Tuesday, my son (and Boone County Journal reporter) Alex and his girlfriend Sarah welcomed a beautiful baby girl named Freya Arabella Naughton into the world. She is, of course, the most beautiful child to have ever been born in the history of children being born. (I am an
When a house is a home, it is important to give it some TLC from time to time. At Boomerang Creek, we try to take care of the small things ourselves before they become big chores. But for the big tasks and anything that requires a ladder or chainsaw, we call our wonderful nephew Nathan
My mother Donna, rest her soul, was a firm believer in the old English adage that children should be seen and not heard. To put it mildly, kids annoyed the hell out of her. It would be slanderous to claim that my mom hated all children, however. In fact, she tolerated and/or loved three or
With seasons, it’s the power of air that shapes the pattern of movement on the land. In the heat of summer, there are days and weeks when the air seems to stop moving altogether. To hang dry and heavy around all that it touches. To steal energy and drive good intentions back indoors in search
