One time I heard a story about this man who said he could remember quotations but he couldn’t remember who said them. He said he could not remember if it was Will Rogers or Elizabeth Taylor who said, “I never met a man I didn’t like.” Hope you will forgive me for this little bit of levity to introduce my topic today, “Reading Sharpens the Mind,” because an improved memory is definitely one of the benefits of an avid reader. But that’s just for starters, because there is another benefit…

After my column today I may be accused of being a “racist,” which I am certainly not. I want to talk with you about an important issue that no one is talking about, and that is the 72 percent unwed mother rate in the black community. In an Associated Press article by Jesse Washington, dateline Houston, he pulls the cover back and talks about this issue that even in black churches no one talks about, but that is beginning to change. His information comes from Dr. Natalie Carroll, a black…

No one in their right mind would intentionally take a loaded gun and shoot themselves in the foot. The first consequence would be intense pain, then blood beginning to run everywhere, and when they couldn’t get the bleeding stopped, a trip to the emergency room. After the hospital people checked him out and cleaned the wound, it would probably require surgery to repair the damage. Depending on whether he had insurance or not, a hefty medical bill would follow. The sad news is, this person may not be able to…

Would you believe there is a very simple statement that if put into practice by the majority of our citizens would cure about 90 percent of America’s economic woes? The statement is simply this, “Save for a Rainy Day.” One of the saddest things I have seen in a long time happened back at the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic when there were long lines, some over a mile, of people waiting to get food. This scene took place countless times, in spite of the fact that we are the…

One time, several years ago now, I had the opportunity to attend the annual Awards Banquet of the Arkansas Press Association. One of those honored as “Headliner of the Year” was Joe Ford, Chairman and CEO of the Alltel Corporation. I can remember back in the days when this company was known as Allied Telephone Company with a few hundred employees. It grew to more than 26,000 employees and did business in more than 20 states before selling to Verizon Wireless in 2009. Mr. Ford was a big part of this…

St. Augustine, a Roman North African who lived from 354-430, once said “patience is the companion of wisdom.” This truth has certainly hit the nail on the head with me, because one of the hardest lessons a person with a type “A” personality has to learn is patience. In past years, with me it’s always been, “Lord, give me patience, but don’t drag your feet, because I want it right NOW.” Is it possible that this could also be a problem for you? Are there things in your life that…

It has been said that “birds of a feather flock together,” and from personal experience I know this is true. We just love to be around people who talk like us, look like us, believe like us, have the same hobbies, and have a lot of things in common. When I meet someone new, one of the first things I usually do is ask them where they are from. Because I have made speeches in 72 of the 75 counties in our state, I usually know someone they know, and…

If you read my column on a regular basis, you know the various topics and subjects I address are not about current events, but rather they involve principles or examples that are timeless and we can apply to our lives. Such is the case today, as I want to talk about the senseless violence that is taking place across our nation with regards to members of our law enforcement community. While there are bad apples in every profession, let me say here in the beginning that I totally support our…

There is a path that many people take through life that, while appearing attractive at the time, ultimately leads to nowhere. I’m talking about the Path of Least Resistance. Since making wise choices is what success is all about, it might be worth investing a little time to determine if you are on this path. In a general sense, the person who is on the Path of Least Resistance usually looks for the easy way, and if there is a short cut they will take it. From a psychological standpoint,…

Several years ago I had a secretary by the name of Desmond Walls Allen, who did a fantastic job of typing the manuscript for my daily radio shows. In our casual conversations around the office, she also taught me a lot about life. She had some health problems and I remember her telling me about visits to her doctor. She said, “I told my doctor, ‘I don’t want you to pat me on the leg and say ‘Honey, everything is fine’. I want you to tell me like it is.…