Where I Come From 2024

Essay 2: Silence, Solitude, and a Quiet Time with God.   Excerpt from Chapter 46, “Silence and Solitude,” from our upcoming book, Where I Come From. A late October release is planned. Stay tuned for pre-order information in both eBook and Print editions. More at www.creekbank.net You cannot have solitude until you remove distractions. The key is eliminating distractions so …

Thoughts on Solitude   “There is no ‘quiet place’ in the white man’s cities. There is no place to hear the unfurling of leaves in spring or the rustle of insect wings.”  -Chief Seattle 1854   This week, I’ll be blogging about the need for solitude and silence in our lives. I look forward to sharing your thoughts and getting …

A Dry Creek Soldier Comes Home Saturday, September 7, 2024 Dry Creek, Louisiana Taps There’s nothing quite like the sound of “Taps” echoing off a stand of tall pines. My friend Randy Sanchez plays “Taps” on a small World War I “Trench Bugle” in the far corner of the Dry Creek Cemetery. The antique bugle’s unique, raw sound, which no …

  My Favorite Jimmie Barrett Story Excerpt from my upcoming short story collection, Where I Come From. I close with my favorite Jimmie Barrett principal story. One day, I was teaching chemistry when he slipped into the back of the classroom to observe me. He got comfortable.  He always looked kind of sleepy and was soon leaning on his elbow. …

            Creekbank Family, My upcoming short story collection is entitled Where I Come From: Field Notes from the Pineywoods. I’ve listed chapter titles and taglines.  I’ll be adding new chapters, so stay tuned. Most of these chapters have been published on the Creekbank.net/blog. Take a look. As always, I welcome your input. questions. and feedback …

CHAPTER No tears NO TEARS THE GIFT OF TEARS HARVARD MENTAL HEALTH   “You know I cried when I read your story.” I smiled, “So did I.” No tears in the writer. No tears in the writer. I want to tell stories that move people. Laughter Tears Shaking of the head I don’t believe Walking away from that story moved …

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 boat went in a circle. …

I looked up at the full moon as it rose last night. “Boy, you’ve had a busy April. First, you totally blacked our closest star, the Sun, during that Total Solar Eclipse on April 8th. You were in the new moon phase but helped put on a show for the ages. “Now, here you are as a full moon showing …

“Jessica” Allman Brothers’ guitarist Dickie Betts died last week at 80. His songs, especially ‘Jessica,” have always been my favorite ABB cuts, and he will forever hold a special place in my heart. I’ve listened to the Allman’s since 1972 and still circle back to them several times a year. “Jessica” is an instrumental written for his baby daughter Jessica. …

She smiled at me, and I was changed. Thursday, April 18, 2024    Atrium Oschner’s Hospital  New Orleans, Louisiana   I saw the lady as she passed my table in the busy atrium of Oschner’s Hospital. She was walking briskly, and I immediately saw she had no arms, only nubs that ended past her shoulders. Then I noticed something else. …

First Snake of the Year   Tuesday, April 16, 2024 It’s mid-April, and the snakes are crawling out of their winter homes.  The warmer nights are the impetus for them to stick their heads above ground. I’ve spent the winter months not worrying about where I walk or put my hands. But that is changing. I’m waiting to see my …

When Venus and Jupiter Came Out Monday, April 15, 2004 I’ve purposely waited until a week since the eclipse to write about it. I wanted to let the dust settle from the event and my soul. I won’t try to describe how it looked when our sun was completely covered by our moon. You’ve seen the photos, and the images …

Thoughts on a Manly Handshake It’s an art every leader must master. Let’s delve into the cultural significance of the manly handshake, a unique aspect of our Louisiana Pineywoods region. Sometimes it’s called a manshake. A man-shake is firm instead of its opposite number, the dead fish/damp washrag handshake. Men in our area are judged by their handshake. It can …

Beautiful Cherry Winche Creek near Bethel Baptist Church in Rapides Parish area of Plainview. How have you seen “Cherry Winchie” spelled? What story/stories have you heard on the origin of the creek’s name?