Rich: The tears that wouldn’t fall

Massive tears pooled in my eyes, but, amazingly, for 15 minutes, they did not fall.They were stoic.Just like my friend, John Jarrard.Sitting at a table in a sequined dress for a black-tie event, I watched the video that honored that wonderful man.

Rich: Celebrating good folks, especially fathers

A friend of mine and I were talking once about a crook we both know. As my Daddy would say, “He wouldn’t know the truth if it hit him between the eyes.”The stories about this crook are endless. It seems like almost everyone has a story about a lie, an illegal transaction, or some such.

Rich: The Hydrangea

About 16 years ago, a famous man dug up part of a famous plant in his world-renowned garden and gave it to me."Don't put it where it'll get the hot afternoon sun; plant it in the gentle sun," he explained. "If the leaves wilt, it's from lack of hydration.

Rich: An awakening

A significant awakening swept over me recently. When it happened, I was happily stunned at my observation.Daddy had a close first cousin named Gurley. Tink, a Yankee, had never heard of degrees of cousins until he came South. He did not know what a “first” cousin was or how you became third cousins.

Rich: Sounds familiar

I sat in a doctor’s waiting room without a phone or a newspaper to read. I was just a-sittin’, observing those scattered about.It is the art of observing that we are losing. And, with the fading away of studying people and tuning into their conversation, we are in danger of losing wisdom.

Rich: Bringing joy to others

As my time has stretched into many years, I realize the exceeding importance of giving moments of kindness.Take, for instance, my friend, Edward.Edward is kind and well-mannered. Every person who knows Edward gushes with love and stories of his thoughtfulness.

Rich: The friend I’ll always remember

Silently, Tink closed his laptop. He had been showing me a couple of videos.He observed me for a moment before asking, “You miss him, don’t you?” I nodded, my eyes pooling. “Very much.”“Does it make you sad to watch these?”I sighed. “Yeah. He was such a force. Charming, frustrating, funny.

Rich: The magic of ‘The Waltons’

This story comes on good authority which assures us that this good story is true.One day, Tink and I were visiting his father, former television Executive Grant Tinker, when the conversation turned to Merv Adelson, a legend of iconic 1970s television shows.

Rich: Fair and unbiased (or biased) sports reporting

Count me in as one who still enjoys holding a good, local newspaper and absorbing almost every word.From the front page to the obituaries to the sports to the legals. I even read the entire jury list.High school football season had just begun, and I was reading the town’s sports page.

Rich: Rudeness and courtesy

Sometimes, I have decided, rudeness works.Sometimes, it’s even called for.I had to do a lot of thinking on this because I advocate kindness and courtesy.But if someone is being abused publicly, I can see the need for rudeness to spare the victim.