Courage - Honor - Valor

My small village lost a hero this week. He was a regular guy, who could pull off a good joke. He had a car repair shop in this bedroom community of about 1,400. Although you wouldn’t get your oil changed in an hour, the mechanic was an honest guy who wouldn’t try to upsell you unless he did notice something that was direly needed.

When he wasn’t under the hood of someone’s vehicle, he was in a fire truck. This week, my village lost the man who was our fire chief for 38 years.

Faith doesn’t travel much faster than in a firetruck, the pastor said at his funeral. This guy helped people at their worst, when their cars weren’t working or when fire took their possessions, and possibly some lives.

His life ended after a call, while trying to get cars fixed for folks needing them for holiday travel. He died with his boots on, they said.

They did a final call to the chief, calling him home for a rest he didn’t take in life. He was escorted to his final resting place by a fire truck, and honored along the way by the community he served for more than 40 years.

Courage, honor and value were printed on a plaque laid next to his coffin, as a dedication to all firefighters. Few people wear these words in life. The longtime chief of a volunteer fire department in a rural village lives those words, while being just an ordinary guy. 

Divided Moon - now available in paperback

Finally!

I know some of you have been waiting for this news along with me.

Divided Moon is now available in paperback.

Find it here....

DIVIDED MOON in paperback

The Bunny

Every few days this bunny comes and sits by my magnolia tree. He comes in the morning and settles into the same spot where he sits, motionless all day long. Then he leaves sometime in the night and we don’t see him until one morning when he comes to visit again.

He doesn't notice that he is hiding in plain sight. He doesn't know that scrawny magnolia tree couldn't provide shelter for a bug. He doesn't care that children are crashing in and out of my front door just a few feet away from where he sits. Some days, like today, he even closes his eyes. How often have you seen a wild rabbit sleep?

This has been going on for months. At first, I thought the rabbit was stupid. Then I worried he had something wrong with him and told the children to stay away. Now I see him as a gentle presence. If a wild rabbit can sleep on the bare front lawn in a suburban neighborhood filled with children, then there is a chance the rest of us can find peace in this chaotic world we live in.

Peace on Earth. Goodwill toward men.

The eReader Revolution

I bought a Kindle this year, although I resisted for years. I insisted that the feel and smell of a book were crucial to the experience of reading.

They aren’t. Not really. I still love cracking the spine of a new book, but it isn’t that important. I still get a thrill powering up my Kindle to see what is new on my virtual bookshelf.

Sometimes it is better, because there is some instant gratification to electronic publishing. I can get a book in seconds, without driving anywhere.

So today, when I heard a young, reluctant reader was eager to download books to his new iPad, I wanted to applaud this new technology. People love to stare at their little (and big) screens. The younger generations may not remember life without these handy hand-held devices. They may be more comfortable with Kindle for the iPad than they are with hardcover books. Perhaps the traditional book is intimidating and old fashioned. Perhaps they are hiding their bookish tendencies for other reasons. Or maybe it is that a hand-held device you carry with you is more convenient than remembering where you put that library book.

Whatever it is, I hope the digital revolution in literature encourages more reluctant young readers to get lost in a story.