He is everything many Americans admire — In virtually every survey of Christmas villains, Mr. Henry Potter from “It’s a Wonderful Life” finishes at the top of villainy. Potter, played by Lionel Barrymore in the 1946 Christmas classic, presents as a heartless, conniving, greedy businessman who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Mr. Potter…

Tracing the footsteps of Christmas long ago — I used to cook a lot. In high school, I worked in a bakery where I made bread, sweet rolls, doughnuts, and a wide variety of other baked goods. In the Army, I was a cook in an artillery unit. I knew my way around the mess hall pretty well…

Reflections from a distant mirror — There is something a little unusual in the age spread between my dad, me, and my son. We are each 40 years apart. My dad was 40 when I was born, and I was 40 when my son was born. I have a picture of the 3 of us when…

Change is one thing; progress is another — Things change. That is one ironclad, immutable law of life. No matter how good things are, or how horrible they are, nothing stays the same for long. Some embrace and celebrate change, while others resist it and mourn the days gone by. Me? The older I get, the more I…

There is not always much time to decide — Shoplifting and theft are nothing new at the home improvement store where I work part-time. As a matter of fact, retail theft is something of an epidemic nationally. The nice folks call it “shrink,” meaning the amount of goods that should be in inventory is less than what is actually…

I am tired of overpriced everything — Stevie Nicks in her classic song “Landslide” sings that “Time makes you bolder.” Oh, Stevie. You are so right. I don’t know about you, but I am getting tired of sticker shock, that sinking feeling you get when you find out something is much more expensive than you ever imagined…

Here is how it went — I have some funny quirks about me, as just about anyone who knows me very well will tell you. I think that is probably true for a lot of people. One of my quirks has to do with rarely taking advantage of deals and discounts. In many places, I am…

Stepping up to do what is necessary — Being the eldest male in a family clan is an honor of sorts, though in modern times it doesn’t carry with it the kind of respect and awe it did in earlier times or among aboriginal societies. In these days of “Okay Boomer,” being a family elder isn’t what it…

I feel like I am in high school again — When I was in high school, I was on the newspaper staff. Our paper, Hatchet Highlights, came out once a week and covered most of the events at our school. …