IDLE AMERICAN Commentary by Dr. Don Newbury Uncle Mort, who attains age 107 come July 4, issues requests for “no talking” and “no chore assignments” about this time every year. It’s no bother to Aunt Maude. In fact, she looks forward to the week or two annually when her hubby is in deep thought. She charitably calls such interludes “thought.” Others
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IDLE AMERICAN Commentary by Dr. Don Newbury A retired school superintendent–weary of the sameness of approaching his job in the traditional manner–dreamed of serving in an unlikely place. The school was in a swamp long since drained, and locals said alligators hadn’t been seen there in years. During his professional years, the dreamer said he took on challenges daily, hoping
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IDLE AMERICAN Commentary by Dr. Don Newbury Warnings abound concerning the danger of saying “never again.” Most of us are guilty of making false promises on topics such as New Year’s resolutions, diets and exercise. I’m ready, though, to admit past failures, place my right hand on a Bible stack and gaze heavenward for this solemn pledge. Never again will I
Read moreIDLE AMERICAN Commentary by Dr. Don Newbury Surely it was a slow news day on both coasts recently. In Rhode Island, they unrolled fireman-grade water hoses to wash egg from the faces of school board members, and in California, a small, “highest-scale” coffee spot sold out of a new magical coffee brew despite its introductory price of $75 PER CUP. Left-coast
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IDLE AMERICAN Commentary by Dr. Don Newbury Brits have long been viewed as folks who seem bent on probing details of “whys” on many topics, some of them unlikely. Maybe it’s because they’ve been around a long time. Like the Farmers Insurance commercial, they “know a thing or two because they’ve seen a thing or two.” Many of them reach “lathered
Read moreIDLE AMERICAN Commentary by Dr. Don Newbury A minister friend–aware of ever-growing complications and mounting tonnage at the trough of trivia–often used the expression from the pulpit, in staff meetings and in conversation. He felt strongly about “keeping the main thing the main thing.” It was a serious challenge made so often that friends often referred to him as the “main
Read moreIDLE AMERICAN Commentary by Dr. Don Newbury We’ve heard about the chances of being hit by lightning, winning the lottery or scoring a hole-in-one on the golf course, but nothing about the probability of two distinguished educators meeting up at a rodeo. Dr. Ronny Collins, former school superintendent at Wellington, Jacksboro, Snyder and Mineral Wells, was a rodeo clown to
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IDLE AMERICAN Commentary by Dr. Don Newbury In wildest dreams, it never occurred to me that one day I’d write a piece referencing three bigger-than-life personalities. This day, I am. Two of the three are valued friends whose names are well known in Texas, and the third I’ve never met. There’s nothing gained by keeping readers in suspense (as if I
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IDLE AMERICAN Commentary by Dr. Don Newbury The news that cursive handwriting is returning to elementary school curricula is being roundly applauded, perhaps equal to ovations that welcomed Dolly back to Broadway. Some of us thought cursive instruction had been “written off” in recent years, replaced by fingers fleeting across tiny keyboards on iPhones, iPads and such. No one is more
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