Life Churns, but We Focus Not Only on Today

Human beings are rather complicated creatures. A college professor of mine once quoted the following, "The only thing that separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom are table manners." For the longest I agreed with this trite sentiment, but over the years I've learned to disagree...somewhat.

We live in the emotional, some more than others. Since other animals can't speak, nor convey specific emotion, we assume they are either happy or content. But we are unique in this old world. We have at our disposal so many ways to communicate how we feel, our wants, our desires, and our obligations.

In our youth, we are often told we "believe the world revolves around us," but that is not really true in the purest sense of the word. While young, we only focused on the here and now, and have little concept of tomorrow or years down the road. Seventy years of age to an eighteen year old seems a million light years from them.

As we age, we become more socially, economically, and humanly aware. Our focus changes ever-so-slightly over time so that a legacy is left for our own children and grandchildren, however large or small it may be. Our impact on other's lives means more to us than it did when we had hair, lacked wrinkles, or the dreaded middle age spread.

This weekend, I was reminded of this more so than normal. As I normally do, my weekends are very busy with work, especially during the Spring and Summer months. However, I stopped for a moment to consider my children and where they are in their lives. I thought about my Mom, and my mother-in-law and how I hoped I made them proud. From deep down inside, I realized my legacy was two-fold: a desire for my children and family to be proud of me and what I have done in life, and to leave something positive for them all should I exit this world tomorrow.

All the money in the world doesn't matter, all the empty words, or simplistic and meaningless gifts we give have nothing to do with legacy. Memories and positive impact are what make us immortal in other's eyes. And while this sounds ego-centric, I believe this lasting legacy is what most of us want.

We are all human beings with our own faults, dreams, and desires. Why shouldn't we help those closest to us achieve those things they desire, or at least give them our undying love and support while they make way through this world.

Peace, love, and coffee to you all.

A Road Trip: Americana Style

It has been a few years since my last extensive road trip. If you exclude my daily jaunts into the metro Atlanta area, and eliminate the daily dose of road rage I suffer as a result of those drives in and out of the city, I really haven't driven very far. My last formidable drive was from Allentown, PA southward to Augusta, GA four or five years ago!


So, I headed off to Chicago this weekend to meet the newest addition to our family, our first granddaughter. I was so very excited to hold her, play with her, and teach her the value of screaming, "Roll Tide Roll!" After learning to articulate those three words, she will most certainly be destined for greatness.


My drive took me north into Tennessee; Chattanooga to Nashville, to be exact, before turning north and pushing through Bowling Green, Kentucky. If you have never seen glorious Nickajack just outside of Chattanooga, you are missing something. A broad expanse of water that lies in the shadows of Lookout Mountain, the wonder and beauty of it is difficult to articulate.

Someday, I would love to take the time to visit the Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky, as I have passed it by at least four or five dozen times in my life, but time is never my ally when I travel solo, so, once again, the museum will have to wait. That said, I think fondly of sinkholes and crying insurance companies each time I see that line of checkered flags just to my west as I cruise by it.


From Bowling Green, I passed over the rolling hills of central Kentucky until finally arriving at the construction riddled city of Louisville. Named after a famous French king, Louisville is the perfect name for a city whose roads are constantly being re-paved. King Louis XVI, famously beheaded on the guillotine would have been proud of Louisville's constant construction zones. Some of the potholes I have hit on Interstate 65 through that fair town have made me feel as though my head would fall off and fillings would drop from my teeth. That said, I do enjoy seeing Louisville's small skyline built upon the Ohio River and the highway tribute to Mohammad Ali, who was born and raised in the city.

In most places, I can find beauty. In Indiana, I find it in my rearview mirror. I apologize to all my Indiana friends, but that drive is five of the most boring hours of my life. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy corn, just not five hours of it. Your windmill farm north of Lafayette is cute, especially if you like slowly moving monstrosities winking a red eye at you with great regularity. It's enough to give Frodo Baggins chills up and down his spine! The state's saving grace, however, are its wonderful people. The place is full of good country folk that talk funny. I love 'em!

If you have never had the pleasure of driving through or around Chicago, you have no idea what you are missing. Bumper-to-bumper fun with millions of your closest friends. At least they use turn signals here; contrast that to my daily Atlanta commute and I have to smile at Chicagoan's curious road "politeness."

Seeing the Sears Tower (yes, I know, Willis...what you talking about?) to your east is really quite inspiring. As I drove north and saw the massive building fade to my southeast, I grew even more inspired. That meant I was closer to my destination!

At long last, I arrived at my destination. After a weekend of emotional highs and lows (you'll have to read my previous blog entry to understand this), I was relieved to be here and finally get to meet our newest addition to the family, Maya, affectionately called "Maya Papaya." Our little granddaughter is a perfect little piece of art. Even her shrill little cry makes me smile.

The return trip to Alabama is scheduled to begin in a few days. As I sat belly-aching about it last night, Cathy said, "We should check out the Bourbon Trail in Kentucky." And that, fellas, is why I married her. Naturally, the anticipation of getting to our Bourbon Trail starting point will be prolonged by our drive through Indiana, but at least the state has some great people. :)

My Baby and the United States Army

Something that is uniquely different about the United States and many countries around the world is the phrase volunteer force. Militaries around the globe still have mandatory requirements for men (and sometimes women) to serve for a certain amount of time. Here in the States, conscription is not in place and our service members serve of their own free will.

Yesterday, May 5th, along with members of my family, our youngest daughter was publicly sworn into the U.S. Army. Hooah! It was a site to behold--dozens of our young standing on the old federal building steps in Gadsden, Alabama, each wearing shirts representing their respective branch of the military. They stood their before their recruiters and family and repeated their promise to uphold and protect the United States Constitution, and to protect us all against enemies "foreign and domestic." Wow.

I spent time considering that oath and realized the things I have done in my life pale in comparison to the promise these kids made. And close to the top of those steps stood my daughter Cassidy. She was beautiful, smiling, excited, and happy. Her dad was proud, happy, sad, and apprehensive all at the same time.

It is a natural thing for a parent to worry about their child. My concerns are even higher for a kid who enjoys sleeping to the crack of noon, walks like a tortured P.O.W. when asked to wash her dishes, and grunts when told to make her bed. But...but...but...

Over the past few months since she elected to join the military, I have watched a form of discipline overtake her. She willingly goes to P.T. during the week and, literally, runs laps around others who were a part of the group standing on those steps. Her little arms started taking on a much more muscular shape, and my proudest moment...

Prior to her swearing in, our neighbor, who is a pastor of a local church, came over and asked if he could pray over her. "Sure," she said. Before praying, he asked her a few questions about God, love, and perseverance. Each time she responded, she said, "Yes sir." To say my heart swelled with pride would be an understatement. She gets it, I know she gets it, and a pastor who is probably used to hearing, "Yeah," and "Uh huh" when he speaks with youth gets it too. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the prayer he offered then went on to work on a chore I had assigned her. She didn't even grunt this time.

Yeah, I am nervous and simultaneously overwhelmed with pride.

Go Cassidy, and go Army!

The Trades--Real America

I am a guy who enjoys doing home repair. It isn't so much that I'm cheap (well, I guess that is arguable), but I just like doing stuff myself. Along with that, I also like building projects, which forces me to use my horrible math skills (I use this word loosely) and arcane construction knowledge.

Recently, I constructed a small shed that I am particularly proud of, despite my friends referring to it as an "outhouse." It serves its purpose, which is storage of a few yard maintenance tools like my mower and weed eater, as well as several other smaller implements. Cathy named my shed Aengus the Strong after my friends ragged me for its tiny construction. To them I say, "Build it and they shall come!"

Another project that I have undertaken is the construction of a lean-to on a different shed. I realized the numerous mistakes I made along the way, including a lack of support features due to its size. Friends and family warned that it would sag in the middle, and after some pride swallowing and consideration, I realized how right they were. As such, I have modified the lean-to in order to include some additional supports to keep it from becoming a punching bag by those I consider "friends."

The purpose of this particular entry is not to espouse my spectacular knowledge of shed and lean-to construction, nor is it an effort to offer up self-congratulations each time I change out an electrical outlet, repair a leak, or change out a wax ring under a toilet (one ring to bind them). Sorry for my Tolkien reference--I do that often.

My point in penning this short post is to say that I have much respect for those people in the "trades." The construction workers, the electricians, the plumbers, the concrete finishers, block layers, etc. The masters of these tradecrafts have my undying respect and gratitude. I stand in envy of your abilities and creativity and think they are oftentimes overlooked in America for their contributions.

We like to award trophies and awards to architects for designing buildings, but rarely congratulate the people who actually laid the foundation and built the tower. These guys and gals are the ones who should be celebrated. They realize the faults in design and bring solutions. Those in the trades bring dreams to life.

The next time you encounter someone masterfully skilled in the trades, I suggest telling them how much you appreciate them. They are the reason you have a roof over your head and the ability to power up you laptop or phone. Yes, these builders are America and we should let them know how great they are.

Some Time on the Mountain

For about three years of my life, I would venture to the top of the highest point in Alabama, Mount Cheaha, and navigate over the numerous trails. I would take my children there and let them enjoy nature as well; we all loved hiking that mountain. Fast forward twelve years, my kids are grown and either living in different states or are moving on with their lives. I couldn't be happier for them, but I lack hiking partners now.


That said, a buddy of mine has told me he wants to hike Mt. Cheaha this coming weekend, so I plan on grabbing a stick, packing a bag, wrapping my knees and hitting the Pinhoti trail for the first time in years. To say I love that place is an understatement of sorts. Heck, the protagonist in my novels lives just at the mountain's base, where he hunts and fishes when he isn't gallivanting around the world, meeting interesting people then killing them.




High atop Bald Rock on Mount Cheaha

The history and mystery of Cheaha is steeped in Native American lore. Specifically, the Muskogee and Cherokee occupied the lands around the mountain before Europeans settled the U.S. Many believe the mountain to hold a sacred power. Some say you can feel a strange vibration while you walk the trails of Cheaha. And others, still, claim the mountain is haunted by Natives of ages past.

Perhaps all these things are true, or maybe they aren't, but my head resides in the realm of the magical and possibilities found in ancient tales. No matter, I am hoping for fair weather as we traipse across and around the rim of Mt. Cheaha that usually takes several hours to complete. Eventually, I would love to continue my trek across the Pinhoti and on up to the southern point of the Appalachian Trail, where I would love to hike and camp to Klingman's Dome in Northeast Tennessee. We shall see if that happens.

Maybe, just maybe I will catch a glimpse of Bill Evers's house when we finally turn north and round the western face of the mountain. I am hoping to look down into the Coosa River basin to see small creeks filled from waters running off Cheaha. And most certainly, I will post photos from our voyage.

Coming soon--my conversations with Rex

As many of you know, I have several passions. I love my family, practicing and teaching martial arts, I enjoy building sheds, and I even enjoy work. On top of all this and more, putting thought to paper and creating stories that readers relate to is something that brings me great joy.

I have written two full length action/adventure novels and continue getting so much positive feedback from readers. Please understand--the positives I receive have nothing to do with fueling my ego; on the contrary, when I can bring a few hours of escapist pleasure to a reader, I feel as though I have helped make the world a better place. That thought is what drives me to write and create.

Several have asked when my next Bill Evers novel will be available, and I do apologize to everyone for not having another one ready to hit shelves just yet. I continue to write, albeit at a slower pace than I previously knocked out the first two books. Rest assured, until my dying day, I will peck away at the keyboard in order to bring more stories to life.

Since an earlier blog entry last year, I have toyed with the idea of penning a short book about the conversations I have with our little Italian Greyhound, Rex. It has been with some trepidation that I moved from the genre that I so enjoy to one I am less sure about. This short work is one that I am tentatively titling Conversations with Rex: The World According to Our Dog.

The title may change, but the content will remain. As most animal owners do, I talk to ours regularly, and in my head I hear their responses. Rex has a way of conveying what he thinks through certain looks, body language, or animated jumps and rolls. He is quite the prima donna!

If you are a pet owner, or if you are just someone who enjoys off-branded humor, I think you will like this short work. I will keep everyone posted regarding updates to the work and potential release dates as we get closer to it. You can also follow me on my Facebook author's page for periodic updates and other nefarious topics.

Lastly, as we progress toward publication, I will post a few tidbits here and there specific to the work. I do look forward to this book's release. The compilation of my love for my dog and my twisted sense of humor will hopefully bring a smile to your face.

Stay tuned!

My Newest Tangent: Violent Media & Video Games

Since the recent mass shooting in Parkland, Florida here in the good ole United States of America, gun control, mental illness, background checks, et al. have re-emerged (as they are wont to do after such a tragic event) once again. Ideologues on both sides of the debate argue the same case over and over and the needle never seems to move on the topic. Depending on where you sit on the subject this may or may not be a bad thing.


First, we all acknowledge the loss of life as tragic, and more specifically the loss of innocent life from an act of violence as disgusting and unwarranted. For me, the taking of an innocent life is equally bad if it's committed with bear hands, a hammer, a car, a plane, a rock, a pencil, a knife, or any other object made into a weapon. Let us not forget that a singular murder is just as traumatic as any mass murder, although the latter always grabs headlines and is sensationalized beyond measure.


Moving onto the topic at hand, and that which I would like to focus upon specifically, is the discussion around violent video games, movies, and television and the possible correlation between violence/violent outbursts and the aforementioned.


The gaming industry has gone to great lengths to suppress or ignore potential correlations between violent games and desensitizing the human brain to violent behavior. As a friend "in the know" recently told me, the United States military understands the psychological implications of taking a human life. In many cases, select soldiers are desensitized via violent video games. Perhaps you have heard the term "simulator?" This is a dressed up pseudonym for violent gaming.


It is here that I must point out that millions of stable individuals play video games every day without exhibiting abnormal psychological behavior. Certainly, there is a small population of people that exhibit violent proclivities toward violence and actually act upon those impulses. I would like to state that I believe gaming and its impact on certain humans is a reaction to a much larger psychological disorder. Naturally, this is my opinion, and I have no solid scientific data to support my position other than seeing very low numbers of violent behavior exhibited by gamers (as reported by the media).


There are, however, some interesting research articles supporting, or at least pointing to a potential correlation between playing violent video games and an increase in violent thought and agitation. One such article was published in USA Today and can be found here (note: this link will open a new browser window).


For further research, check out Lt. Col Dave Grossman's site, Killology. He has authored and coauthored several interesting books on the psychological impact of killing another human being.


It is beyond time for our nation to take seriously its own mental health, although the term has become almost cringe worthy. I do not write this statement solely on the basis of our Second Amendment rights; on the contrary, we have all witnessed mental instability play itself out at a significant price. Taking guns away from free citizens does nothing to solve its mental health issues. As I recently told a friend of mine, that is like putting a band aid on a volcano. It serves no purpose other than making the band aid manufacturer rich every time a volcano erupts.


Our country is at a boiling point, and until we remove emotion from debate and move forward with a science based approach at tamping down or eliminating violent behavior, specifically the desire to kill innocents, we are destined to fail as a free nation.

Your opinions on this topic are welcome!


~h