Life in anti-mustache house requires stiff upper lip

Because I Said So column for The Commercial Appeal

January 21, 2010

As the parents of four children, my wife and I knew full well that we would, at age-appropriate intervals, need to have some uncomfortable and awkward conversations with the kids.

In addition to general safety concerns, healthy eating, school grades, college and, of course, "the talk," there would need to be many discussions of personal hygiene and bodily upkeep before they are unleashed into the community among decent people.

I won't go into those conversations in detail here, such is the personal nature of the subject, but suffice it to say that soap, deodorant, underwear, feet and fingernails will come into play if they haven't already. For the two girls there will be other discussions, possibly including bar graphs, pie charts, ice cream, lunar calendars and a PowerPoint presentation.

I'll leave all that up to their mother ... (read more)

Philanthropy instilled at an early age, Pat Carter still giving back at 71

Good News feature for The Commercial Appeal

January 19, 2010

Though he has sat on the boards of organizations, been inducted into halls of fame across the country and is deacon with Whitehaven's Middle Baptist Church, Pat Carter is a man who avoids committees when it comes to getting real work done.

Case in point: Carter and a handful of friends have been feeding the homeless Downtown in Confederate Park every Labor Day for 25 years with little more than his own barbecue grill and the determination that has kept this self-made man going for most of his 71 years.

"I think we can do more (ourselves), rather than depending on an organization," Carter said. "For years no one knew I was cooking for the homeless because I never told anyone. I do it every year because no one wants to cook for the homeless on Labor Day."

It's this taking of the reins that has guided Carter's life from the age of 12, when he set up a Kool-Aid stand in the front yard of his Raleigh home, catering to the church down the street whose members would filter down for refreshment after service.

"People were laughing at me, they thought it was funny, but I had $1,200 in my savings account when I was 12," he said ... (read more)

Memphis Crossroads Magazine

Three feature stories for the Winter 2010 issue of Memphis Crossroads Magazine.

Santa is gone, but dad is still watching

"Because I Said So" column for The Commercial Appeal

January 7, 2009

The Christmas holidays are over.

Do you know how I know this? Because the lights have been pulled down from the front of the house, the tree is lying at the curb, there are no sweets baking in the kitchen and the trash talking from my children is in full swing.

The kids got a Wii for Christmas. It's the first appearance of a video game in our home in the 12 years we've had kids and they are suddenly competitive. They have quickly, in the malleable nature of smallish children, become expert runners, jumpers, skiers, bowlers and kung-fu fighters.

And experts at bragging and talking smack and, frankly, it's beginning to hurt my feelings ... (read more)