Category Archives: Writing

A Miracle on the Midway

Jimmy Franks plopped down his $5, bought his ticket at the gate and walked slowly through it. His stomach already was turning. He hated the State Fair.  And for good reason. When Jimmy was five, there had been a disastrous … Continue reading

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Uncle Bill

My sons looked warily at my Uncle Bill.  Sitting in his chair, thin and on oxygen, he must have been intimating to them.  Add to it that he is difficult to understand when he speaks  — well, I guess they … Continue reading

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Successful

Yesterday, I had the joy of having Dave Ramsey on my radio show.  Most of you know that he’s my first cousin.  I’m eight years younger than he is — so when we were growing up, I was the little … Continue reading

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Tearing down to rebuild

The University of Tennessee’s student center was old when I went to school there. And I’m old.  Soon, it will be torn down and replaced with a new one that is bigger and better. I love the old UT student … Continue reading

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Roots and branches

Fall’s cool breath blew across the mighty oak. Its colorful leaves now covered the Hill’s sacred ground with a warm, brown blanket.  Jimmy Barnfield listened as his steps crunched toward the oak.  Thomas Wolfe said you can’t go home again. … Continue reading

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The Lucky Slot Machine

Casinos are designed to rob their patrons of all sense of time.  No windows. No clocks. It’s same noisy, smoke-filled environment 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year. In the corner sat a broken … Continue reading

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Going home: A Smoky Mountain Tale

Fall greeted all five of the man’s senses. The air was (finally) cool to the touch. He could taste the sweet apples from the local orchard. He could hear the crunch of the fallen leaves under his feet. He could … Continue reading

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Grand Canyon

She had a picture of the Grand Canyon hanging over her desk.   It was huge, taking up most of her office wall. On a table beneath it were pictures of her family and a few other photos from her … Continue reading

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The fog

Where the fog met his self-doubt, there was a counterclockwise swirl of hopelessness and gloom. He sat in his empty office building, looking out at the gray world.  Papers were strewn everywhere on his desk; it had the air of … Continue reading

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The Hunter & the Buck

A light breeze greeted the hunter on the opening day of Deer Season. It was right before dawn and the Sun had painted the Eastern sky with streaks of purple, pink, orange and yellow.  The caffeine from his morning coffee … Continue reading

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