by Joe Rector | Dec 5, 2016 | Columnist, Rector
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...
by Joe Rector | Nov 28, 2016 | Columnist, Rector
By Joe Rector This time of year always makes me sit back and think about times gone by. I grow a bit nostalgic, and just a fleeting thought can fill my eyes with tears. The weather cools too quickly for my aching joints, but years ago it never bothered me a lick. We...
by Joe Rector | Nov 21, 2016 | Columnist, Rector
By Joe Rector Yes, it’s Thanksgiving time again. The world has spun around the sun and brought us once again to a day during which we count our blessings. We are supposed to pause for a moment to reflect upon the things for which we are grateful. This year, however,...
by Joe Rector | Nov 14, 2016 | Columnist, Rector
By Joe Rector Thwack! Thwack! Thawck! The sound grows louder as the sky fills with the same sound coming from hundreds or even thousands as they hover. What can it be? Helicopter parents are either constantly present or on call to sweep into any situations that might...
by Joe Rector | Nov 7, 2016 | Columnist, Rector
By Joe Rector By the time this piece appears in the paper, the national election will begin in less than a day. Plenty of people are saying, “Thank God!” Others, like me, who are political junkies, will pace all day long and fret until the final vote counting is...
by Joe Rector | Oct 31, 2016 | Columnist, Rector
By Joe Rector As soon as October arrived, folks were decorating houses and purchasing costumes for the celebration of Halloween. I’ve always been amazed at the keen interest poured out for the day. It wasn’t like that in my world. Halloween was simply a time each year...
