The date of May 10, 1869, was a very significant one in the history of our country. On this date the Transcontinental Railroad was completed. A gold spike was driven at Promontory Summit, north of the Great Salt Lake in Utah, linking the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads. This could be called America’s first great engineering feat, even though it actually involved hard work, tremendous danger and great amounts of money. The idea was first promoted by a young engineer named Theodore Judah. He identified Donner Pass in Northern…

Did you hear about the man who read so much about the harmful effects of drinking, smoking and gambling that he decided to give up reading? Unfortunately this is the same reaction that many people, young and old, have when they are warned about the harmful effects of doing or being involved in any number of harmful activities. One of those activities that is on the front burner these days is “vaping,” or the use of E-cigarettes. According to a recent study by the National Institute of Drug Abuse, E-cigarette…

When I was in the printing business many years ago, I remember working with some employees who moved about so slow that we had to line them up with a post to see if they were moving. To be sure, these employees were not in line for a pay raise. The famous American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) once said, “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” This is so true. We are not going to accomplish very much on a job or in a lifetime if we do not…

In my new book, “The Best of Jim Davidson,” there is a brief paragraph that begins, “Fret not at small beginnings: the oak tree began as an acorn; the beautiful rainbow had its beginning as a drop of rain and a ray of light; the muscular athlete had trouble crawling; the university graduate started in the first grade; the massive international oil industry began with a small shallow well.” The reason I share this allegory is to present a truth that affects every single citizen in our country. As you…

Did you hear about the most optimistic man in the world? He is the man who went down to the courthouse to see if his marriage license had expired. Now, I am highly optimistic but probably not that optimistic. The reason I share this is because, like many of my readers, I am wondering how long our nation can survive if we don’t get our act together in Washington, D.C., with our current crop of politicians. Here is what Abraham Lincoln said to warn us back in the days of…

My friend, here are three statements you can take to the bank. “If you are reading this, it is likely because a parent or teacher taught you to read early in life. Reading is the cornerstone of a successful education; without it, not much else matters. Reading benefits imagination, vocabulary, and unlocks the door to all other subjects.” These statements were made by Arkansas’ Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin in a recent guest column published in our state’s only statewide newspaper, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. As I read his tremendous article, I…

There is a medical condition in our nation which most of us don’t know much about, yet it affects 18 million adults. This condition is called sleep apnea, and it happens when an individual stops breathing for brief periods of time during their sleep. In fact, this can happen for some sufferers up to 30 times or more in an hour. One of the real blessings in my life over the past several years is attending a men’s weekly prayer breakfast at one of our fine local churches. In addition…

It has been said that “desperate times require desperate measures.” Today I would like to tell you about a national crisis during the Great Depression and how it was handled by our nation’s leaders. Let’s go back to the year 1929. The stock market crash saw a drop of 89 percent in its value and plunged our nation’s economy into a tailspin from which it would take years to recover. If this were not enough, a prolonged drought affected most of the country and exacerbated the problem. To be sure,…

The other day a lady who reads my column said something that really got me to thinking. She said, “Your columns are too deep for me.” You could have knocked me over with a feather. I have never seen my writing as too deep for anyone, but perhaps there are some readers who, from time to time, miss the point of what I am trying to get across. Of course, you know the three rules of communication are: be clear, be clear and be clear. There are some of my…

There is a wonderful mental power called “ruminating” that most people do not know much about, but it can make a wonderful difference in our lives. The definition of this word means, “To chew on - meditate, reflect or ponder.” As I said, this word can make a wonderful difference in our lives if used in the right way. To be honest, this word has not been in my working vocabulary until just recently. The lady who typed the manuscript for my new book used this word when she commented…