Make the quiet times happen

My writing cabin, Pall Mall, Tenn.This morning, Holly and I had the honor and privilege of listening to South African cattleman and evangelist Angus Buchan speak at World Outreach Church in Murfreesboro.  The main point of his sermon was that,…

“Serious people have few ideas.” Ramp up the fun.

  Ask yourself this:  How many wildly creative companies have you either visited, read about, or learned about on a TV program that didn't mandate a fun atmosphere? The answer is easy:  None. What are the companies most known…

Food: The unending conversation

When you boil it all down, there are really only three things that matter in human life:  faith, reproduction, and food.When it comes to discussing these three things — the only three things that matter in human life, mind you — there are…

Find your carnival ride

Carnivals and amusement parks are some of the more interesting and enigmatic curiosities devised by the human brain. Why do we participate? Here's my guess.

It’s different, but it’s still America

Tennessee skies.Amazing that it's been 11 years.  When planes started hitting buildings that morning, I wasn't sure that the world would still be here in 11 years. Frankly, it all didn't seem real.  It was a movie, a Bruce Willis blockbuster.…

Art worth NOT losing.

Readying for the state fair.My first story of this deadline will be about country ham.  Yes, you read that correctly.  Country ham.4-H'ers in Rutherford County, Tenn., have a country ham project group.  My 11-year-old son, Sam, is a part…

Writing — a perfect storm of risks.

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This blog concerns itself with many different subjects, from exercise to photography to music to faith.  But mainly, it focuses on writing.  Whether or not the subject is about writing, what you find here is expressed through a writer's…

What does THAT mean?

Mt. Lemon, Tucson, AZ. Why the title, "A Write Smart"?In the Appalachian Mountains, the phrase "a right smart" is an expression of quantity rather than intelligence. It means "a lot."  Examples:  "How much corn has Erlie got this year? …

We need more John Adamses

I have recently finished watching the HBO series "John Adams," and I feel equal parts embarrassed, ashamed, inspired, blessed, cursed, ecstatic, and saddened. What has our country come to? It's not a political comment.  What I'm talking…

Of all the gall!

Last weekend, Sam was out riding his bike in the cul-de-sac and driveway.  Suddenly, he burst in the front door and ran up to me, obviously distressed."Dad!" he said.  "Guess what!?""What, Sam, What?  Slow down and catch your breath.""Okay,"…