An Arkies Musings

My An Arkie's Faith column from the May 29, 2024, issue of The Polk County Pulse. At 8:30 on Sunday morning, several family members left our hotel in Siloam Springs and headed to Cathy’s Corner for breakfast. My family was in town for my granddaughter's graduation. Several of us ended up staying at the same hotel. After a night full of anxiety from storms that produced tornadoes close by, we wanted to go out for breakfast before heading our separate ways. Cathy’s Corner is a Siloam Springs landmark. We have been eating at Cathy’s for over 30 years. It is the place to be in Siloam Springs on a Sunday morning. I pulled into the crowded parking lot, searching for an open space. A space near the front door opened as a truck pulled out of the lot. Inside, the restaurant was a beehive of activity. It looked a bit like an Arkansas farmhouse. There were setting hens on the wallpaper and signs that said such things as “Good food,” “Fresh eggs,” and “Friends are always welcome here.” The...

My An Arkie's Faith column from the May 22, 2024, issue of The Polk County Pulse. In high school, I was too shy to talk to girls. I was almost too shy to talk to boys. When I first went to high school, it was at a private school that only went to the tenth grade. When I transferred to another school at the beginning of my junior year, the only people I would talk to were those I knew from my previous school. Although I was too shy to talk to girls, that didn’t mean I wasn’t interested. At the beginning of my senior year, a girl stole my heart the first time she walked into Mr. Brost's history class. Because I was so shy, it was almost a year before she knew I was interested.  I think that God knew that I needed all of the help I could get, so he made it so that our paths crossed in several ways that year. Mr. Brost selected five students to work together each week, producing learning packets for history class. The special girl and I were both in the group. We both worked at the...

My An Arkie's Faith column from the May 15, 2024, issue of The Polk County Pulse. A few weeks ago, while reading the Polk County Pulse, I saw a name in the Polk County Sheriff’s Log that piqued my interest. It stated that this person “was arrested by an officer with Probation Parole on a Body Attachment, a Theft of Property Warrant, and a warrant for Violation of Suspended Imposition of Sentence.” “I need to call the Sheriff’s Office and find out what is happening,” I thought. Since we were leaving for a trip to Colorado, I made a mental note to call when we returned. This person had conned me out of a large sum of money back in 2021. I had a great time in Colorado, visiting family, celebrating Easter, touring Rocky Mountain National Park, and attending my brother-in-law’s ninetieth birthday party. We stopped at a gas station in Oklahoma on our return to Arkansas. While I was gassing up the Maverick, I checked my phone messages. I had one voicemail. When I pressed play, I heard, “T...

My An Arkie's Faith column from the May 8, 2024, issue of The Polk County Pulse. My phone dinged, alerting me to a new message on Facebook Marketplace. I sighed and pulled my phone out of my pocket to check the message. For the past few weeks, I have received hundreds of responses to my ad for my 1937 Buick Coupe. Most responses are a simple, “Is this still available.” Quite a few make a ridiculous lowball offer without asking questions about the car. Even more, ask about making a trade and send me photos of something I am not interested in.  But this message is a bit different. “I’m from Austin and really interested. I would love to get more pics of the underneath and door edges. I would love to take a look in person but would like to know what condition it will be in.”  After several messages, he messaged, “We can also get on the phone if you don’t believe that I’m really interested.” We talked on the phone for fifteen minutes while I described the car in detail. “It is an o...

My An Arkie's Faith column from the May 1, 2024, issue of The Polk County Pulse. “All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances.”  These words begin a monologue by the character Jaques in William Shakespeare's play, As You Like It. His speech compares the world to a stage and life as a theatrical performance.  William Shakespeare's profound understanding of life's many facets is evident in his works. He was not only knowledgeable about the intricacies of royalty, but also about the harsh realities of London's inns and taverns, and the lives of rural folk. His insights extended to the complexities of warfare and diplomacy, among other spheres of life. Yet, it was his unique perspective on life as a theatrical performance that truly captivated him. As I sat in the audience watching the play Just One More, the words of Shakespeare echoed in my mind, resonating with the scenes unfolding before me. The au...