My little sister, Piglet, ran a half marathon today. The Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon is one of the biggest events our city has for runners. It was organized to remember those whose lives were lost in the 1995 Murrah Building Bombing, support survivors, pay tribute to first responders, and to raise money to support the Museum that has been erected[…]
On What’s In a Name?
I changed my name. Why? The first assumption made by casual acquaintances and people who didn’t know me before 1984 was that I had gotten married. “I just noticed your new email signature. I guess congratulations are in order!” But, of course that’s not what happened. I guess it would be more correct to say I changed my name back[…]
On Remembrance…
This picture is of my father, back from basic training, and just before leaving for his tour in Germany. He was a bright young man who chose to give up the last couple of months of high school (and possible jail time for a teenage prank he and some buddies took a bit too far), to serve his country. He[…]
On Relationship…
A simple tree by the roadside stands…
On Christmas Traditions.
I am being haunted by traditions today. Christmas Eve 2020 is not like any other Christmas Eve. Normally, I would be rushing to finish up my work so I could join my family for our traditional Christmas Eve celebration. My siblings and I, together with our families and loved ones, would gather together at Mom and Daddy’s house. We’d give[…]
On Grandpa’s Fiddle
My grandfather, Harvie Montgomery, gave me this fiddle when I was a youngster. I adored him. When I was about 25 years old, he developed lung cancer and died in just over a year. I have kept this fiddle in its case all this time. My mother remembers him playing it on their porch surrounded by family, his brothers playing[…]
On Birth…
Behold the first moments of the life of my grandson, Jameson Walker. April 10, 2015. I was there. I took this picture. It remains one of the most prominent and precious moments of my life and, arguably, his. My own children were born via C-Section, but had they been born naturally without intervention by the medical team, I would not[…]
On Saving Things…
My Mother passed away in July 29, 2018 and Daddy left us June 1, 2020. They left the family home to my little brother, Kevin. As Kevin, my sister Amy, and I were engaged in the awful chore of going through my parents personal effects and household items, Kevin asked, “Do either of you want Mom’s china.” There was a[…]
In Memoriam
The handsome man in the picture is my Daddy, Carl Francis White. He is credited for the title of this blog page, as it was a sentiment he used on me often whenever things turned bad. “They can’t eat ya,” he would shrug. Daddy passed away June 1, 2020. He was 80 years old. I had the honor of writing[…]
On Simple Love
Last night I dreamed about my mother. She was tiny and frail, and I was caring for her, like we did in those last days. It was just her and me, together. No one else. She needed to go to the bathroom, so I carried her in. This is something I never would have attempted alone in real life for[…]