On active duty in the Army I once tried to use chewing tobacco to stave off hunger. It worked. It wasn’t long before the names Levi Garrett and Beechnut were the titles of a daily staple. Chewing, the act of stuffing the moist, tasteful harvest of a tobacco field into my cheek, became a ritual. The… Continue reading Chew
The big Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser Station Wagon moved silently in a world of white. Conspicuous by its motion in a scene of winter still life, its three passengers rode without speaking in an atmosphere reflecting the moody gray of the overcast sky. With a slight turn of the steering wheel, the driver turned off West… Continue reading A Killing on the River
The old man sat at an angle to the table, his grizzled features scant inches from some sheets of paper that had a stranglehold on his attention. His face had avoided acquaintance with a razor for some time and the growth there was a light gray, almost white. His gaunt frame was rack to a… Continue reading Christmas 2002
My gym piped in music from speakers in the ceiling for those who didn't care to wear ear buds or headsets while working out. Unlike that of other fitness centers I found my gym's choice of songs pleasant even if sometimes they weren't conducive to a workout state of mind. Hugh Prestwood's poetic "The Song… Continue reading The Song Remembers When
"Wow, he left it all out there. He gave 110%!" "We all know how important today is, and so it's important that we go out there and give 110%!" I, and I'm sure you, hear similar remarks on a frequent basis. I, and I'm sure you, also know that this is impossible. In fact, anyone… Continue reading 110%!
Chalk Dust 