Every time it snows mom tells the story of how, when I was only a toddler, I jumped off the porch into the snow and disappeared. The snow was over my head. Our recent snow is the first time in my memory that we had enough snow for a toddler to disappear. I expect when … More Snow Sparks Olympic Memories
When I was just a little kid, I loved reading about outer space and astronauts. The planets, distant stars, galaxies, spaceships, aliens, asteroids … every bit of it fascinated me. One of the first books I remember reading was Fireball XL5, a space adventure book based on a television series at the time. A few … More Looking Through A Dirty Window
I started making music early in life. I guess I inherited this interest from my dad, who was a much better musician than I was. He could play any instrument and had a great singing voice. He never had any formal training but simply learned for himself the best he could. It was the same … More Finding Joy in Music
Bigfoot, the Fouke Monster, Sasquatch … these creatures were running wild in South Arkansas when I was a kid. (At least in my vivid imagination.) I was about 10 years old when the movie, “The Legend of Boggy Creek,” came to a theater near me. I was much too afraid to go see the movie … More Bigfoot Mania
God can come into your life in unique ways. One winter day over a decade ago, one of his angels turned up at my doorstep. It was a freezing, sleeting, snowing day. In Arkansas, you only get a handful of those each year. This was one. As I rushed from the house, on my way … More Chip
Everybody’s been talking today about the anniversary of man walking on the moon. I was seven years old at the time and was totally obsessed with the space program. In connection with that historic event, the Gulf Oil Co. produced a beautiful hardback book. It was set to be available at every Gulf Oil gas … More We Came in Peace
Just recently I finished watching the National Geographic mini-series “Picasso.” I really didn’t know much about his life, but was familiar with much of his work. Apparently he hardly ever took commissions. … More Commerce vs. Art
It really is a grand place – even in its current condition. I entered the Saenger Theatre in Pine Bluff only a handful of times as I was growing up, but these precious few visits made a tremendous impact and have remained ever clear in my memory. It was a place which allowed me a … More Memories of a Magic Movie Palace
What puzzled me most about being bullied was that it kept happening … year after year. From the first-grade right through high school, every single year there was a new bully that knocked the wind out of my sails. “What’s wrong with me,” I’d ask myself. “Why do they keep seeking me out?” It all … More The Amazing Invisible Boy
I’ve always been drawn to water … especially muddy water. It holds a strange attraction to me – not being able to see what’s below the surface. Before I could swim, I was afraid of deep water but still intrigued by it – lured as if by some primal need to return to the cradle … More Life On the Bayou
The Struggle to Be Known 