Rich: The old hat

In my hands, I held the battered straw hat, holes torn in a couple of places. For a solid block of time, I studied it, having taken it down from the fireplace mantle.I choked up. It probably cost no more than a quarter, yet Oscar Cannon, no doubt, wore it for half a century or more.

Rich: A friend named Walt

Perhaps I’ll never forget the lilting sound of his beautiful Southern accent.I hope not. Right now, it’s ringing in my ears, forcing tears into my eyes. Walt Ehmer was one of the best friends I ever had. He possessed a quick wit that couldn’t be outrun.

Rich: Kris Kristofferson

A friend and I were discussing which version of the movie “A Star Is Born” was our favorite.It has been remade four times — each one terrific — and is based on the original 1932 film, “What Price Hollywood?

Rich: When schools close

At an invitation-only reception before my speaking engagement, Tink and I were surrounded by lovely people who came one at a time for introductions and then to talk about our work, either individually or separately.

Rich: The worst date ever

Several years before I married a wonderful creature named John Tinker, I had the worst date of my life in Louisville, Kentucky.Ironically, a runner-up for that honor happened years earlier in Lexington, Kentucky, during the weekend of THE Derby.

Rich: The hands of hard work

Back when work was bone-deep hard, and money was so scarce that people often bartered for necessities, Mama recalled many stories of that time. Like most teenagers, I half listened but asked questions to be polite.Like most teenagers, I half listened but asked questions to be polite.

Rich: One of the most famous men I ever knew

His name is Calvin.There will never be a monument, a bridge, or a dirt road named for him.But in this part of the South, his name, Calvin Stewart, will be engraved in our hearts forever.Calvin was a patrol officer for the local sheriff’s department.

Rich: The joy of the rain

It was in the gloaming of a hot, July evening. I was dressed in jeans, an Elvis tee shirt, and farm boots, cleaning weeds near the stream that runs under our driveway.A bristling wind suddenly lifted the leaves, and I saw the skies darkening further. I called to the dogs.“Y’all c’mon.

Rich: My cousin

It was a simple gesture.Probably meaningless to anyone but me.We were at the funeral home, celebrating the well-lived, godly life of our Aunt Kathleen. Tink and I were seated on the sofa near her beautiful casket when my cousin, Wanda, plopped down in my lap and threw her arm around me.

Rich: The wedding gift

It was a wedding gift. We never knew from whom it came, even after all these years.I just opened the front door, and a quart jar of clear liquid sat there. My first thought was that it was water.Then I saw the note. “Congratulations on your marriage. Have a toast, from a friend.