By the time those born around the time of the Civil War—like social reformer Jane Addams, three-time presidential nominee William Jennings Bryan and their peers—came of age, nearly every aspect of their world had changed. Between the 1870s and the dawn of the 20th century, Americans witnessed revolutions in daily life, from what they wore to how they…
Category: Wednesday Noon
Confession: I got nothing!
This is a written confession, a mia culpa. I give myself writing projects because I want to hold myself accountable. Wednesday Noon is one example of the accountability effort. This assures that I will write something every week. Like any other skill, writing improves with practice and exercise. The singer, painter, sculptor, and dancer improve…
Why Me, Lord: the unexpected theology lesson from Kris Kristofferson
Why this, Lord? Saying I grew up in a conservative Baptist church is the same kind of understatement as saying Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups®are the perfect blend of chocolate and peanut butter. We were suspicious of conservatives who adhered to fewer “standards” than we did…and those standards were high, let me tell you. For one…
Crestfallen: has honor been lost forever?
There was a time when families, like nations, flew their flags…flags that bore a crest with emblematic symbols and sometimes mottoes.
To be somebody
Some folks want to be somebody while others just want somebody to be. Typically, it goes in this order: You spend your childhood looking for somebody to be. Once you figure out somebody to be, you set out to be somebody. A person will not usually embark on the second until they have settled on…