By Neal Murphy

“The Only Factor” by Neal Murphy

February 9, 2024 - I did not know it in the middle 1940s when I was in elementary school in San Augustine, Texas, but I was breaking the law.  In fact all we students were lawbreakers.  Some of you might recall this event that the courts now say was very detrimental to our very souls.  Yet, most of us grew up to be intelligent and useful citizens in spite of the learned judges’ opinions.

"The Ink Blotter" by Neal Murphy

January 22, 2024 - Thinking back on my “schooling” in San Augustine, Texas, I recall that I was not allowed to use anything except a #2 lead pencil in my studies. At least, not until I entered the fifth grade under Mrs. Margaret Wade. Of course, I was allowed also to use crayons to produce several colorful drawings during these early years. In Mrs. Margaret’s class, things changed.

"Stubborn as a Mule" By Neal Murphy

October 18, 2023 - Have you ever heard someone say about a person, “He’s as stubborn as a mule?” Or perhaps even you have been called “mule headed” by others. I think we all know what the meaning of the word is, but are mules really stubborn? If someone is stubborn, it means that they are contrary, unwilling to change, or unwilling to do things that are expected of them. Some people say that the stubborn person “walks to the beat of his own drum.”

“What’s Happened to the Whippoorwill?” by Neal Murphy

September 1, 2023 - Anyone who has camped out in East Texas has probably had this experience: You’ve spent the evening sitting around the campfire after a satisfying dinner. A nice gentle breeze cools the evening air as you settle down for a night of blissful sleep. Then, it starts - “Whip-poor-will, Whip-poor-will”, the sound of a bashful bird serenading you.

“I'll Never Understand” by Neal Murphy

August 26, 2023 -  I admit that I am from the old school of doing things, therefore much of the fads and activities of the current generation are puzzling to me.  Gone are the days when people consulted Emily Post to see if their actions were “appropriate”.  There were also certain unwritten rules governing activities and dress that were adhered to by most everyone.  Rare were the “lone wolves” who lived by their own rules amongst us, and those people were  pretty well shunned by everyone else.

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