THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Compared to the glamour and glitz of Broadway’s “Great White Way” in New York City, two Texas venues fall a bit short. Yet, by many standards, they stand equally tall. I’m referencing Waxahachie, Texas, and Brownwood, Texas, where the Texas and Lyric Theaters, respectively, have been successfully resurrected. Each has scheduled plays early this year

   THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury At commencement exercises several decades ago, the speaker droned on about the attributes of a graduate whose mark on the school was incomparable. The crowd hung on his words, uncaring that his extended commentary would throw the ceremony off schedule. So what? A mother–unknowingly standing next to the esteemed graduate’s mom–whispered, “I’d give

THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury We have eyes to see and hearts to serve, yet somehow don’t recognize the importance of both purpose and passion until we see needs up close at life’s intersections. Thankfully, such consciousness–the kind leaving lumps in our throats and guilt in our minds–results when we hear accounts from folks whose lives have changed direction through

THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Two long-time friends–Sue Gressett and Gary Dyer–regularly post items that are informative, encouraging, clarifying and amusing on Facebook. When I see their items, I read them carefully, knowing I will be the better for it. In recent days, Sue provided an account that invited “been there, done that” smiles. In this post, her “high road choice” shone

THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury The State of Texas is known far and wide for its citizens’ love of football. Taken a step further, names of school mascots can cause head-scratching and sometimes absolute disbelief when their plural names are discovered. There are some “doozies.” I don’t know if Trivial Pursuit is often a game of choice these days, but Googling for

 THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Irony’s definition has been stretched to the breaking point for me. Verily, Humpty-Dumpty’s nursery rhyme about his “wall fall” pales greatly when compared to the fall-out of a deposed football coach who had a “falling out” with his employer. The shocker, though, is that deposed Coach Jimbo Fisher will be paid some $76 million to

 THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury “You oughta get yourself an Apple watch,” a friend suggested. I stopped short of suggesting that he should keep time however he chooses. I countered that I will stick with a calendar, sun dial and wristwatch. Perhaps noting an ever-so-faint smile, he blathered on, explaining what Apple watches can do, even hailing an ambulance if

 THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Much of what is making the news cycles these days is borderline UnAmerican, and in some cases, absolutely unTexan. That’s the opinion of my Uncle Mort, an ancient relative who has lived more than a century down in The Thicket of East Texas. He is shocked that iced coffee has become an obsession in the

THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury The comparison isn’t nearly as far-fetched as it may seem at first blush. In many ways, though, the Texas Rangers’ unlikely mastery of the 2023 baseball World Series resembles the Apollo 11 Space Mission.  Huh?  We who are long of tooth, gray of hair or bald of head remember the late 1960s. Many Americans viewed our