THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury A woman described her middle-aged hubby thusly: “He’s 44 inches around the waist, size seven and a half around the head, 95 around the golf course and a nuisance around the house.” Clever, of course, this play on phrases, but under the thin veneer of humor is a rock-hard truth about waistlines. Many men, as

THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury An older woman, her age nearing the century mark, deeply desired to attend the recent Howard Payne University homecoming. She received her baccalaureate degree there some 75 years ago, and this was her first trip back to Brownwood since her graduation. “I wanted to see Old Main one last time,” she said, remembering that most

THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Even when life’s storms rage, we Americans are privileged to seek “ports of peace” that are welcoming, even if only for a few hours. There, we re-charge to face another day, with hopes re-kindled. We who admit to being senior adults found such joy recently on a beautiful fall afternoon in Duncanville, Texas, where 500

   THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Sometimes, newspaper headlines are clever to the max, like the one in the Dallas Morning News when the Texas Rangers mauled the Tampa Bay Rays in the first two games of the American League wild card playoff. There was but a sprinkling of Texas fans in the half-filled stadium, none of whom carried brooms. This shouldn’t be

   THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Mention the name Walter R. Chambers to families with long connection to the tiny Coleman County community of Burkett, TX, and a hush of funereal proportions is immediately evident.  Mr. Chambers’ views on all issues–school, sports, community and otherwise–carried the day. Respected as much as any educator of his era, he is most remembered

THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Uncle Mort, my aged uncle down in The Thicket, has heard the expression since childhood. He’s used it repeatedly since about the time he thinks he became an adult. “We’re in pretty good shape for the shape we’re in.” The rancid saying–when fresh and generally applicable–may have warranted a grin or two back when. Nowadays,

THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Randy Brooks, who portrayed Jesus in “The Promise” more than 6,000 times, is nearing the 60-year mark in Christian ministry. But, he still has “the look”–the kind that causes head-scratching when vaguely familiar faces are seen. Randy was cast in the role in 1989, when the award-winning musical began its 34-year run at Glen Rose’s Texas

THE IDLE AMERICAN THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury We’ve heard about how tiny errors can foster various responses, ranging from serious misunderstanding to thigh-slapping laughter. Hitting the keyboard’s “I” instead of the intended “o” caused chuckles recently. Reading an advertisement for funeral home employment, a radio announcer listed requisites for the job. “Must be able to ease the grieving

THE IDLE AMERICAN THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Usual readers–both of you, and a few relatives who sometimes read to see if I “got it right–may remember that a month ago, I decided to put my “quill back in the goose” until September. A few cool days in New Mexico beckoned, and off we drove to the Land of