I was raised in a home filled with music. My mother played piano on one of those giant uprights that I sure wish I had back. So many memories attached to that piece of wood, wire and ivory. My sister had a record player. Eventually, Santa brought my brother and me a phonograph/8-track cassette combo […]
Common Man Episode 5 – How to remain an optimist in a time of despair
Surviving the rest of 2020 with a positive attitude has become this generation’s equivalent to John F. Kennedy’s famous 1961 challenge that the United States “should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth.” Most people didn’t think […]
Common Man Episode 4 – Brent writes on Ron Meyer, the editorial cartoonist
I don’t know about you, but I think this world needs more legends. Many of you will remember one of my personal favorites. If his name is mentioned, smiles and stories will be shared. Some will be funny. Some will be touching. Yet, after the dust of our reminiscence clears the far reaches of our […]
Common Man Episode 3 – A killer at large in 1935 Crossroads community, and funeral mourners get a fright
Merle Johnson and his family are well known in these parts, going back generations. Recently, Merle recounted a story of murder and family grief dating back to the 1930s. He tells of a moment in time when a local murder and the death of his grandmother crossed paths. The story is told in his […]
Common Man – If you do this, you might be a modern-day Gladys Kravitz
From 1964 through 1972, one of the most memorable and popular television shows of the time was Bewitched, the story of witch who marries an ordinary mortal man who works in the advertising industry. Samantha, the witch, was played by one of my earliest boyhood crushes, Elizabeth Montgomery. By the way, my other television crush […]
Common Man – Brent Davis Recalls The First Day of 1st Grade in the Fall of 1964
This column by Brent Davis is the first of a series to appear on a bi-weekly basis on MySaline. We’re very proud to have him. Read his biography at the end. As I write these words, I’m hit with a two-by-four of nostalgic disbelief. Right before my eyes is the year 1964. Everything around me […]