An Ape In My Car
A few years ago we spent a week in Spain and as part of the trip we went to the ‘Rock of Gibraltar’ to visit the apes that lived there. In reality they were not apes but Barbary macaques (monkeys), often referred to as Barbary apes1. We hired a guide and were warned to be careful because…
Read MoreA Father’s Hands
A few years ago I attended the funeral of my uncle who was a successful rancher for more than 90 years. During the funeral his son described his dad’s hands as rough, snarled, and callused by a lifetime of hard work. During the service I was sitting between my sister and another uncle who…
Read MoreIs The Sky Really Falling?
The classic story of Chicken Little has many versions and while the names of the characters may change the story is basically the same. An acorn falls on the head of Chicken Little. Because she didn’t know its source she panicked, convinced herself that the sky was falling and made a foolish decision to…
Read MoreThe Punishment of Sisyphus
In Greek mythology Sisyphus, the king of Ephyra (known today as Corinth), had a reputation for being deceitful, prideful and offensive to the gods. After enduring Sisyphus’ bad behavior long enough Zeus sentenced him to push a large boulder up a mountain and over the top. When he got it to the bottom on the other side…
Read MoreI Will See You Again When I’m Twelve
There is a story of a mother who needed surgery that required a hospital stay of 7–10 days. The hospital had a strict visiting policy that would not allow anyone under 12 to visit. This mom had two daughters’ ages 11 and 6. A few days after the surgery, she received a phone call…
Read MoreGoing Once, Twice, Sold to Steve
I started my professional career in a rural community and I didn’t know anyone when I moved there but I quickly formed a friendship with a man from my church. Steve was born and raised in this community and at the time I met him he had just returned to start a business. He…
Read MoreGunnysack Full of Wool
As a small boy I remember watching my grandfather shear his sheep. I can still see him grabbing the sheep and setting it down and it four legs stuck straight out so he could shear the head, belly, legs, and then its back. The wool was tied in a bundle and thrown up to…
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