THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury I’d never thought of naming my laptop. Now, I’m making a u-turn, deciding that it deserves a name: “Dolly.” Hundreds of miles away from her for five full days, I can now warble with gusto, “Hello, Dolly. Well, hello, Dolly. It’s so good to have you back where you belong.” Our “separation” began around

THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury My time away from writing the last two months–for repairs, rejuvenation, re-connection and respite from the world of 24/7 caregiving–has been more than rewarding. Resulting are at least two more “R” words: resumption and re-commitment. Truly I have missed writing weekly. Perhaps you haven’t missed me, and perhaps I am viewed like the pesky

 THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury The late George Carlin is best remembered for poking holes in the policy implemented to eliminate the foulest of words on radio and television. He essentially made a living with his TV “bit” entitled “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television.” The czar enforcing the edict was viewed to be the toughest, most unforgiving

THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Many retirees–even if admitting only to slowing down to a lower gear–have a difficult time finding rocking chairs that fit.  Some don’t even try; count me in that group, with entry into my 89 th year now but weeks away. A credo for many is choosing to “wear out” instead of “rust out,” and a sliver

 THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury Foul balls aren’t really the worst things in the world. Generally, unless they’re caught, at least one more swing is assured. Missing the ball by even one-millionth of an inch on the third strike results in a “whiff” that can cause serious sleep disruptions. Okay, so much for framing with baseball jargon. If I get

THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury The event is “brain-etched,” deeply embedded and validated by the calendar. It was May of 1962, all “heady stuff” for a one-year-out-of-college guy invited to make a commencement address.  The distance was 87 miles from Brownwood to London in Texas’ beautiful Hill Country, where I would speak at graduation exercises for four seniors at

 THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury For the next three weeks, there’ll be too much about me, even if I apologize in advance for citing personal experiences, but they’re the only kinds I’ve had. At their core will be remembrances of commencement ceremonies, mostly where I’ve been privileged to speak. For brief and shining moments, I’ve joined graduates, families and fellow

 THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury It is that time again when hundreds of thousands of us can’t get the sounds of “Pomp and Circumstance” out of our heads, often whistling or humming the melody, not even wondering why.  For the curious–and others in the majority who couldn’t care less–Englishman Edward Elgar’s 1901 march has long been the musical gold standard

 THE IDLE AMERICANCommentary by Dr. Don Newbury When I introduced this weekly column more than 22 years ago, my stated goal was to provide amusement–even if corny and outdated–largely for readers dealing with bodily wrinkles, waistlines, aches, breaks, bends and assorted other groans associated with later life. Sometimes I’ve tried to make lemonade when negative topics tempted. Last week, I shared negative