Boots The Dog

Let me start off by saying my family has always had dogs, always loved dogs and this is a story about a dog that had a short life, but made a big impact on me. It was the first lesson on what "death" meant and the feelings associated with it, or understanding it all at …

I Ratted On My Brother

This happened back about 1972...and I'm pretty sure about that time because we still lived at 115 E. Vine Street in Blytheville, AR. I would have been about 17 years old and my younger brother, Kevin was 3 years younger than me, so he was 14 years old. We had been shooting firecrackers earlier this …

Halcyon vs Halcion

Or I could have titled this the "Years of Pills". Not many, but only a few people know about the year or two I delved into the "pill habit". I don't know if I was really ever hooked though. First, what the hell am I talking about when I say Halcyon vs Halcion? A HALCYON …

I’ve Been Inked

Many years ago...actually about 2 years into my Navy enlistment a group of us sailors were sitting around the barracks drinking a few beers and the conversation turned to getting a tattoo. Well, first off...I hate needles. But after a few beers and not wanting to look like a baby, I was determined to go …

The Beat of the Drum

Mom taught me something about individuality as I grew up, and I passed it on to my daughter. She taught me to be ME.  She warned me, that as a teenager there were many influences and pressures that would bombard me such as alcohol, drugs, sex, social responsibility, and in general just being a good …