By NANCY PATRICK You probably remember a comedian named Jeff Foxworthy whose fame rests on his act that begins, “You know you’re a redneck when…” I have never thought of myself as a redneck, but neither had I realized that I might possess hillbilly blood until the recent Nexflix production Hillbilly Elegy aired. If you watch it, Glenn Close’s character
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By NANCY PATRICK As with most social, business, educational, and spiritual organizations, the Abilene Interfaith Council (AIC) has had to make many changes in its structure and performance during the COVID-19 pandemic. These months have challenged all organizations as they try to retain their missions and purposes while observing safety and healthcare precautions at the same time. Most readers of
Read moreBy NANCY PATRICK Successful people understand the value of life-long learning. I acknowledge that keeping my mind active by learning new skills and concepts will stave off brain laziness. On the other hand, I confess that I no longer learn as eagerly as I once did. I realized this in the early ’90s when I took on a new teaching
Read moreBy NANCY PATRICK Thanksgiving holds special significance for me because my wedding anniversary always falls during the week of Thanksgiving. This current one, November 23, marks the fifty-second for Mike and me. Anyone who has maintained a long-term marriage understands when I say, “I don’t know where the time has gone.” In some ways, I can’t remember life before marriage,
Read moreBy NANCY PATRICK Now that we have cast our ballots for our president for the next four years, approximately half our population feels devastated. Regardless of the ballot I cast, I understand that it appalled another person who voted for the other candidate. As I write this, I do not know the outcome, but I believe my thoughts and feelings
Read moreBy NANCY PATRICK I recently watched an interview between Fareed Zakaria and author Bruce Feiler on CNN. Feiler’s new book Life Is in the Transitions presents the theory that life follows an experiential and twisted road rather than a linear path. I remembered that as a child, my son enjoyed a series of books entitled Choose Your Own Adventure. The
Read moreBy NANCY PATRICK In the midst of COVID restrictions, racial unrest across the country, and national political upheaval, I find my days full of frustration, emotional ups and downs, confusion, and sheer exhaustion. I do realize that many share my symptoms of long-term anxiety, fear, and worry. Some days feel long and useless while others seem filled with unpleasant news
Read moreBy NANCY PATRICK September is National Suicide Prevention Month. As one of the wealthiest and most powerful countries in the world, America should be one of the happiest places to live. Unfortunately, the rise in American suicides implies the opposite. A couple of years ago, the suicides of 55-year-old fashion designer Kate Spade and internationally popular chef and food techy
Read moreBy NANCY PATRICK I grew up thinking of dirty words as cuss words or sexually vulgar words or even profane words against God. I did not know that the dirtiest word I would ever learn would come to me in my forties. That word is “divorce.” Of course, I knew what the word meant, but my family had largely escaped
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Spirit Of Abilene 