Special places

By Joe Rector Last weekend, Amy, Dallas, and I traveled to Cookeville. She attended a luncheon with some high school classmates, and afterwards, we spent time at the Cookeville fair. It’s the kind of fair that brings back memories to some of us when the TVA&I Fair...

Seen this before

By Joe Rector Okay, let me get this straight. The year is 2019; this is the USA; and we’re again dealing with issues of race. What in the world happened? I must be in a time warp. The 1960s became the heyday and the battle fields for that social change. After years of...

Real and compelling

  By Joe Rector Too many people these days are watching “reality television” programs. “The Apprentice” proved to be one of the more popular of all time, and it propelled the leading character to becoming the president of the country. Others include “The...

Night Swimming

By Joe Rector The last few weeks have been scorchers. They came after weeks of rain and soggy ground. I like the heat, but sometimes, the temperatures feel as if they’ll melt me. In the evenings, just the thought of a dip in the pool is enough to cool me off. It’s the...

July 4th Reality Show Showdown

By Joe Rector Another July 4th celebration has come and gone, but this last one was much different from those in the past. For the first time in our history, the nation’s birthday was used as a centerpiece for praising militarism. Don’t get me wrong; I proudly support...

Summer Boo-boos

By Joe Rector A quick swipe of the hand to rid a deck step of water ended with a painful outcome. The stained wood evidently was offended and fought back with a splinter. The darn thing felt like a 2 X 4 as it lodged in the first joint of my thumb. I dug around but...