Where I Come From 2024

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 …

            ”The Old House at Night”  1963  tempera on cardboard by my uncle, Bill Iles. The Old House in Dry Creek. First constructed by my great-great grandparents circa 1892, this family home is my favorite spot in the world, the source of many of my stories, and my best writing muse. Below is the opening …

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?

An Obituary I’d Love to Have. One of the reasons I still receive a paper copy of The Town Talk is to read the well-written obituaries submitted by families. I was touched by the concluding sentence of the obit. of Judge Frank Alan Little, Jr in Sunday’s April 7, 2024 edition. “He often remarked that his wife, family, and friends …

  Join Curt as he reads this story at the Creekbank YouTube Channel:   @curtiles56 Listen at the Creekbank  Audio Podcast or at  Spotify: Curt Iles/Creekbank Stories For more social media contacts, scroll to the end of the newsletter.   Happy April Fool’s Day   I love April Fool’s Day. I’m an unreformed prankster. I’ve pulled some fine pranks on …

  The Old House Comes Alive Again I leave my mom’s home and walk the short distance to the Old House. It’s sunset and our homestead, built in 1892, stands starkly against the background of Crooked Bayou swamp. I hurry in from the cold and build a fire in the middle room fireplace, my favorite room, where I spent countless …

    “Chicken Snakes, Two Sisters, and ‘Falling-Outs.’”   I was told this story years ago. It’s still one of my favorites. Two brothers were excellent carpenters and built houses together throughout the hill country near Fredericksburg, Texas.  But one day, they had a falling-out, and the result was that they stopped speaking to each other. Despite that, they continued …