I won’t be there next week when West Point graduates toss their hats in the air, but I was there years ago to see the pomp and celebration of four years of accomplishment for the young men and women of West Point. I have also lectured at the Air Force Academy and was impressed with the collective as well as the individual dedication of the cadets and instructors. All of the service academies graduations engender a spectacular ceremony that wells with emotion and precipitates deep…

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Yesterday I sat in an easy chair on the back deck. Spring zephyrs nudged the newly leafed trees to wiggle and stretched the winter kinks out of their limbs and branches. I felt a sense of peace in my conscience meditation. My muse was present too. Springs Surprise ©2018 Rolland G. Smith Do we not know they are like us; Our friends the trees of many kinds. Why is it man will just not trust The truths we know within our minds. Each tree and…

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I was outdoors the other day and saw playful storm clouds tease the distant mountains with dancing light and shadows as passing showers spread a few sprinklings to the valley where I stood in awe. The distance created the scenic tableau as a singular vision and lit the far-off mountains with a colorful purple brilliance that few see. The light was a prayer with no words. It was a soft embrace with no touch. It was a symphony with a score of soundless music and…

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We say a lot of old expressions these days, and many times the original meaning has been lost. Our Grandparents had a saying for almost every occasion. If you tried to do something in a hurry and flubbed it, you would hear “A stitch in time saves nine.” How about “bite the bullet,” that comes from the medical profession in the 19th century. Surgeons called on to perform battlefield operations, when no anesthesia was available, would give their patient a bullet to bite on in…

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