Restart

By Joe Rector Okay, 2016 is in the rearview mirror, and I say good riddance. Don’t get me wrong; I am always thankful for the time I have in this life, but the past year has had enough negatives to keep me from wanting to relive it. I’ll take the future… and...

Christmas Stress

By Joe Rector I’ve watched some recent television families go through their holiday gyrations. Sometimes joyful endings occurred, but at other times, the whole family wound up dysfunctional by the end of the program. Even in real life, stories abound about the crazy...

No Habla Ingles

By Joe Rector Stepping outside our comfort zones is a scary thing. Little control over many situations is available, and our nerves are frayed in dealing with the simplest tasks. We can learn so much about the rest of the world and, in some cases, learn to empathize...

A Smoother Journey

By Joe Rector The older I grow,  the more I come to realize that life resembles a ride on the biggest roller coaster in existence, and it’s a ride that travels much too fast for my taste. Those rides that make stomachs rise to throats and frazzle nerves aren’t things...

Hanging Around

By Joe Rector For most of my adult life, friends and acquaintances have at some point asked me where I’ve lived. When I reply, “Knoxville, except for the years I lived in Cookeville for college,” they wonder aloud why I never ventured out. The reasons are many. When I...