Musings

By Sean Dietrich My father’s truck. I was riding shotgun. He was skinny, shirtless, sunburned. Billy Graham was on the radio, preaching like a man with his hair on fire. Daddy didn’t do radio preachers—unless it was Billy. Daddy turned the volume up. His face went still. I’ll never forget...

VALENTINE By Sean Dietrich I’ve seen her climb a mountain. On her birthday. No joke. I was beside her, praying for God to kill me. When we made it back to earth, she was so overcome with emotion all she could say was, “Sumbitch.” To which I agreed, “Sumbitch.” And then we...

Love is in the Air By Lauren Catanese Love is in the air! Can you feel it? It starts in your face with a smile, then flutters down to your heart. It opens up space for the light to come in and the joy to fill you and your world! It’s...

Homeless Vets By Dale Andrews Homeless Vet's, Sidewalk sleeping, under bridges and city streets, tossing and turning, on cardboard mattresses under newspaper bed-sheets, wet, cold, curb black snow dreaming of a cold dumpster, nightmare breakfast, first eaten by first ladies the night before as fine dining. Returning Vet's never whining, or even talking to no one who knows to listen Lost, Forgotten Brave, young...

A Career Season By Kirk McCarley What were your New Year’s resolutions?  How are you doing so far?  Maybe it’s work-related because: My job lacks purpose, or There’s no career path, or I just need a job…any job. Most of us enter the full-time workforce sometime around age 20.  If we’re “fortunate”...

A Pastor’s Ponderings By Rev. Pete Hyde The old car rolled to slow stop at a bleak and abandoned intersection, literally in the “middle of nowhere.”  The driver looked down at his quickly scribbled instructions.  Had he come four miles or five?  Perhaps it was only three because he was paying...

A Blissful New Year By Lauren Catanese Happy 2018 South Walton! Another year is here! How Blessed we are to have the opportunity to create and live a life of our dreams. Sharing with one another, growing, and allowing our authentic selves to shine; letting go the year’s before and...

Presents of Time By Jim Clark The gift of being present... Showing up ... Being there… Listening instead of talking… Making eye contact…. Staying aware… Aware of the people around you… Even those who don’t seem to care The strangers, your neighbors, friends… and your family if you dare? You know really?... Sometimes all it takes is tim... And not much is...

By Sean Dietrich Long ago, my college professor told us to choose a poem to recite in class. Students chose lofty selections from the greats. Whitman, Dickinson, Frost. I consulted Daddy's Hank Williams songbook. 10:40 P.M.—New Year’s Eve. Hank Williams is on my radio. My wife is sleeping in the passenger...

The Wisdom of the Wizard of Westwood By Kirk McCarley Those of my generation who had interest in college basketball were witness to one of the greatest sports dynasties in the history of athletic competition with the dominance of the UCLA Bruins.  Save for one year, from 1964 to 1975, the...