Need inspiration? Look no further than Sledge and Zamperini.

E.B. Sledge We all need our sources of human inspiration.  This year, I have been lucky enough to find two:  E.B. Sledge and Louis Zamperini. Sledge, who died in 2001, wrote the classic Marine Corps memoir, "With the…

“Mad Max” meets “Chariots of Fire”

Holly and I after last year's Warrior Dash. This morning (Sept. 22) at 11:30, Holly and I will, for the second consecutive year, tackle a Warrior Dash "mud run," this one in Manchester, Tenn.  The Dash is a 5K trail run that…

Shaking the hand of God

My closest cousin, Jeff, and his wife of two years, Crecia, recently welcomed their first child, Cassandra Darling Johnson, into the world.  It's a thrill for our large extended family not only to add another vibrant member to the mix, but…

Running? The starting is the hardest part.

That's me on the right, stumbling to the finish of my first race (a 4 miler) a couple of years ago.                       I'm getting…

Changing your voice in written communications

His speech?  Use his voice in the writing.In preparation for a creative writing presentation I have to make in Georgia next month,  I started thinking today about tone.  In my work as a communications professional, I'm asked to write in…

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? …