John Wooden’s Socks “It isn’t what you do, but how you do it.” -John Wooden I was a college senior the year I met John Wooden in 1979. I was preparing to embark on my journey as a high school basketball coach. I traveled to Monroe, Louisiana to hear John Wooden speak at …
Category Archives: A Pineywoods Manifesto
L.T.W.B.T.U.F.I. Leave this world . . .
Leaving this World Better . . . “L.T.W.B.T.U.F.I.” Leave this world better than you found it! It’s a good motto to live by. Whatever we touch. Wherever we go, we ought to leave it better. I’ve always loved camping and hiking. Part of the joy is in setting up camp along a bubbling mountainside creek …
Blessed is the Man . . .
Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he [b]meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the [c]rivers of water, That brings forth …
My Most Important Story
My most important story By Curt Iles I make my living as a storyteller. As a novelist, I create characters and stories. What I wish to share is a true story. It’s my story. It’s a story of what happened inside me. I grew up in a rural area of Louisiana. Our lack …
How to Fight a Bear
How to Fight a Bear I’ve got hiking fever. It’s strikes me several times a year and I find my heart, if not my feet, on a trail in Arkansas or the Appalachian Mountains. In both of these hiking locales, encountering black bears does occur. I want to share a few good bear stories along …
Travel Light and De-Clutter: A Backpacker’s Toothbrush
A Good Time to “De-clutter” As many of you know from my stories I love to hike in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas and along the Appalachian Trail (or the “A.T.” as it is called.) One thing backpacking quickly teaches you is the priority of traveling light. When you are carrying a 30-40 pound …
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December 11: Thoughts on Forgiveness
Each day in December, we’re spooning out a helping of Christmas Jelly. Today’s story features two illustrations of forgiveness. Christmas is a tough time for those with “issues”: hurts from the past, wounds that haven’t healed, bitterness, and regret. Christmas is also a great time for extending forgiveness. These two stories illustrate the strength and …
A Remarkable Story
The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The next best time is today. It’s a story worth retelling. His name is John Stephen Akhwari and he had the dubious honor to finish last in the Marathon at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. John Stephen, a Tanzanian runner, finished more than one …
Love and Discipline
Love and Discipline I once read a story about a father’s wise advice to his daughter, who was struggling with disciplining her young children. The father invited her to take a boat ride on a nearby lake. The boat had two oars and the father told the daughter to take one oar and row. The …
Jan. 2: Dinosaurs
Foreword: Dinosaurs “Tell me who you are, and I’ll tell you where you’re from.” –Wallace Stegner I was born in the Louisiana Pineywoods when dinosaurs still roamed the Earth. Most of them are gone, and I still miss them greatly. They helped shape my life, and I’ll always be grateful for each of them. These …
Sing Your Life Song
A word from Curt November is NaNoWriMo. That’s National Novel Writing Month. I’m leading a group of six writers (I still have room for two more) to write a book (fiction or non-fiction) of 60,000 words. That’s 2000 words per day. The story below, “Sing Out Your Life Song” is from my November project, The …
From “The Pineywoods Manifesto”: Know Those Who Serve
The following is from the upcoming book by Curt Iles, The Pineywoods Manifesto. It’s is a collection of essays and life lessons for his four grandsons. Noah, Jack, Jude, and Luke Iles. He is currently blogging book chapters at his website, www.creekbank.net Know Those Who Serve. Do unto others as you’d have them do …
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The Pineywoods Manifesto: Dream, Goals, and Plans
A word from Curt We continue with chapters from our upcoming summer book, The Pineywoods Manifesto. It’s written for my grandson about the values and priorities of the unique culture of western Louisiana. Our plan is to release end at summer’s end as an e-book and Audible audiobook. If there is enough interest, we’ll then …
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The Pineywoods Manifesto: Be Kinder than Necessary
This is another chapter from our upcoming book, The Pineywoods Manifesto. Be Kind. Kindness: a language the blind can see and the deaf can hear. Always be kinder than necessary. It’s a trait that both blesses the receiver and the giver. It leaves both with a spring in their step. All of my …
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