Opinions

Leave It To Beaver, Father Knows Best, Lassie, Rin-Tin-Tin, The Roy Rogers Show and other 1950s television shows are viewed by many in our modern times as unrealistic and lacking the portrayal of the seamier side of family life. Others complain that these shows are preachy and moralistic. Another common criticism is the lack of people of color, LGBT folks, and other marginalized parts of our culture were not represented or, if so, were shown in a bad light.

There Betty Lynn and I stood in flip-flops and faded denim shorts ‘neath the old apple tree. Paying our last respects.

“Hold my mule” is a figurative expression from the American South that means when a person is leading a mule and they need to go somewhere, or do something very important they will ask someone to hold their mule. Sometimes it meant they were going to enter into a confrontation be it a verbal or physical one, but in church settings where the members were not embarrassed to express their emotions, the phrase meant they were getting happy and praising the Lord or spending time at the altar crying out to God. Do churches still use altars? Do people still get happy?

Two days before dinner guests arrived, a cricket did. At first, I thought the heinous noise was coming from the dishwasher. All my appliances are old like me and prone to heinous noises. Each day brings new creaks and quirks.

Will we ever learn the names on Jeffrey Epstein’s list? I doubt it. The convicted sex offender who died in a prison cell in 2021 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges was not allowed a chance of bail. And once his jail cell cameras were turned off and the guards reportedly dozed off, he was likely knocked off.

Life brings a surplus of feel-good moments, and each of us could fill a Top Ten list pretty quickly. In fact, we could rattle them off from the simple to the sublime. Southern sweet tea to the birth of a grandchild, the thrill of victory to a wonderfully prepared meal. A freshly baked loaf of bread to paying off an IRS debt.

The hospital

When I say, “Macaulay Culkin,” what pops into your head? I am not telepathic, but I am guessing you thought of the movie, Home Alone (and before you ask, that is how you spell his name…I know, I googled it!). You know what’s really interesting to me about the fact that scenes from that movie are probably dancing in your brain? That particular film came out in 1990!