By DANNY MINTON On the morning of April 11, 1970, Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, and Jack Swigert sat in their command module, Odyssey, atop a Saturn V rocket. The Apollo 13 crew would be the third group of astronauts to step onto the face of the moon. At approximately 1:13 p.m. CST, the powerful rocket began its liftoff to send

By DANNY MINTON Some people in life go unappreciated. Sometimes it’s because of perceptions we make without knowing the person or all the facts. Have you ever sat in a meeting when someone was more assertive than you felt comfortable? Have you ever been around someone and couldn’t stand the attitude they presented? Have you ever been around people that

By DANNY MINTON I grew up in a segregated world. The images that divided my world existed all around. Everyone got along well, but segregation remained in many ways. The shop across the parking lot from A&P grocery, where I worked, showed a big sign in the window, “No Coloreds.” The first ten years of school were with all white

By DANNY MINTON “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Do you remember someone asking you that question? Maybe it was your parents, a teacher, or even someone you met for the first time. Asked during our elementary school years, we usually respond with something that has impressed us. I wanted to be a cowboy in the second grade. That developed later into the desire to

By DANNY MINTON The question sounds innocent and straightforward enough, right? Or maybe not! I went to Starbucks one morning around 8:00 and ordered: “a cup of coffee, please.”  “Would you like Frappuccino, Expresso, iced, or brewed? “Just a hot cup of regular ole’ coffee, please… “What flavor?” “Flavor?” “We have Cinnamon, cherry, dark cherry, peppermint, caramel, or chocolate?” “Do

By DANNY MINTON We all hate to make mistakes, especially if they affect those around us. It’s not only embarrassing but often opens us up to criticism. Most of our mistakes are seen by only us, but there are times when we would like to hide and dread what people will say. It’s bad enough to mess up, but much

By DANNY MINTON “Look,” said Dick. “See it go. See it go up.” Jane said, “Oh, look! See it go. See it go up.” “Up, up,” said Sally. “Go, up, up, up.” With these words, children of the fifties were introduced to a family who had been part of the lives of children decades before and would continue into the

By DANNY MINTON And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:“Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.” And he replied: “Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.” So, I went