“I feel the need to continue wearing my mask outside even though I’m fully vaccinated… to not have people think I’m a conservative.“ David Hogg By Dr. Jim Ferguson As comedian Jeff Foxworthy might aver, if you haven’t heard it, you might be deaf. Even this septuagenarian can hear the mating calls of Brood X. […]
If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything. Anonymous modern proverb By Dr. Jim Ferguson In the 1720s and 1730s a movement swept the American colonies which historians would call The Great Awakening. Largely, it was a reaction to secular humanism and rationalism of 16th and 17th century Enlightenment philosophy which emphasized reason […]
How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you were? Satchel Paige By Dr. Jim Ferguson It’s finally over. For an adult, birthdays are not usually treated with fanfare. I guess this is because we’ve had so many. However, turning seventy was an exception for me. Instead of the usual “happy birthday” […]
Nothing connects the country like country. Ken Burns By Dr. Jim Ferguson A reader thanked me for last week’s essay about the Tennessee River and travel. In the essay I used Forrest Gump’s metaphor regarding life as a “box of chocolates.” Well, this week’s essay from Ferguson’s topical “sampler” may surprise the occasional reader, but […]
I hate to write; I love having written. Dorothy Parker By Dr. Jim Ferguson As a writer I have to disagree with Ms. Parker, the famous poet, satirist, critic and writer. But then she was perhaps best known for her wisecracks. My corollary to Parker’s quip is, “I enjoy writing; I love having written.” Sometimes […]
There will come soft rains and the smell of ground, and swallows circling with their shimmering sound… Sara Teasdale By Dr. Jim Ferguson These days I often find myself button challenged. Last week’s column header was a quote from the opening lines of “A Tale of Two Cities,” where Charles Dickens notes “It was the […]
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it […]
People talking without speaking, People hearing without listening, People writing songs that voices never share And no one dare Disturb the sound of silence. Simon and Garfunkel By Dr. Jim Ferguson When an idea for an essay presents itself, I’ve learned to make a note because the thought may disappear, and every week a column […]
Silence in the face of evil is evil itself; God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act. Dietrich Bonhoeffer By Dr. Jim Ferguson It is now April 1st and Maundy Thursday as I begin this essay during Easter week. I am usually better organized writing […]
Anything you dream is fiction. Anything you accomplish is science. The whole history of mankind is nothing but science fiction. Ray Bradberry By Dr. Jim Ferguson I’m always on the lookout for a story, especially an essay topic. Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about communication and especially about writing. Each week for the last […]
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