Creekbank Stories Curt Iles, Storyteller

    A word from Curt I’m blogging a new non-fiction project entitled, The Pineywoods Manifesto: Field Notes on the Full Life. Although I’m writing it primarily for my four grandsons, I’m also thinking about the values and qualities we cherish in the part of western Louisiana we call “The Pineywoods.” Today’s lesson chapter involved a grounded worldview on something …

Pa’s Enduring Lesson on Anger They’ve both been gone for nearly half a century. I was seven and ten, respectively when my paternal great-grandparents died. We called them Pa and Doten, and they were center of our family’s solar system. They each left an enduring lesson that still reverberates in my heart. As I pass each of these two brief …

Rule 1: Think first, then shoot. Rule 2: If in doubt, don’t shoot.   A Word from Curt I’m writing a short book for my four grandsons entitled, A Pineywoods Manifesto: Field Notes on the Full Life contains brief stories and insights I wish to pass on to them. They are blessed with strong fathers who are already modeling these qualities …

“Son, there are two things you should never sell: a dog or a gun. You’ll regret it later.” -Louisiana Rural Wisdom Life is full of decisions, and each decision you make is a trade-off. You’ll gain some things while losing others. Seldom in life is any decision “a complete win.” To move ahead, you must necessarily leave something behind. The …

Life is a long journey, and you don’t get where you are alone. “He was born on third base and thinks he hit a triple to get there.”                             – Comment on a supposedly self-made man A word I spoke to a recent group of high school …

  DeDe and I are excited . . . and somewhat nervous. We will both return to Africa in September to be part of what God is doing in Uganda, Kenya, South Sudan, and beyond. This will be our first trip back since leaving in 2015. It is a great opportunity for us to be part of the fresh work …

Stay Curious Be Amazed Share Remarkable Stories As you end a fine Memorial Day weekend, may I remind all of us that our freedom isn’t free. Generations of Americans died on battlefields and asea to preserve the amazing freedom we have in America. I just finished a week-long hiking trip in North Georgia on the Appalachian Trail (AT).  From time …

Stay Curious Be Amazed at Life  Tell Remarkable Stories A Word from Curt   The 5 books that have most shaped my life. I encourage you to have a reading list for 2018.  I hope you include in this list what I call your Life Book List. These are the books that occupy a special place on your bookshelf and …

A word from Curt This is another chapter in my upcoming e-book, A Pineywoods Manifesto. It’s a collection of anecdotes and lessons for my four grandsons. Today’s story will be part of a speech I’ve giving Tuesday night to the 150 Honor Graduates in my home parish of Beauregard. My short talk will consist of three parts: Remember where you …

  A word from Curt: I’m writing an e-book entitled A Pineywoods Manifesto. It’s for my four grandsons (who have great dads) plus the many young men without a positive male role model to teach them the things every man needs to know. You can read earlier chapters at www.creekbank.net/blog.    Roma uno die non est condita. Latin: “Rome wasn’t …

From the upcoming e-book, A Pineywoods Manifesto: Field Notes on the Full Life by Curt Iles.   “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.” -Solomon in Ecclesiastes 9:10   An Honest Day’s Pay for an Honest Day’s Work In the Louisiana Pineywoods, we believe in working. Many of my friends work in various aspects of …

  We’re (yes, you’re part of this project) writing an e-book entitled, A Pineywoods Manifesto: Field Notes to the Full Life. It’s written to my grandsons as well as those young men who haven’t had a male role model to teach the basics of life.   Yesterday, we talked about how to shake hands like a man.  You can read …

  A Pineywoods Manifesto: Thoughts on the Full Life I’m writing an e-book for my four grandsons. It’s also for young men who have no male role model to teach them these simple but essential life skills. Today’s chapter is entitled “Shake Like a Man.” Shake like a Man When I was a young teenager, Tubby and Agnes King moved to …

A Word from Curt We’re on a journey and our map is: To stay curious. Continue to be amazed at life. Share Remarkable* Stories with our friends and readers.   *A remarkable sound: a dueling duet between a Cardinal and Mockingbird in our backyard. I wonder how we’d react if we’d never heard the songs of these classic Southern songsters? In …