Wednesday, January 05, 2022
Lawn Art and New Neighborhood Entrance
Along with the invigorating energy of Spring, Lawn Art With Neighbors (LAWN) is popping up near you from April 23 to May 8, 2022, with front lawn art created by your neighbors in Greene County and especially around Springfield, Mo.
LAWN thrives as a public art opportunity open to all community members and art forms. LAWN exhibitions include sculptures, paintings, installations, video projections, podcasts, social practice projects, and more.
In 2022 LAWN brings a whole new array of front yard projects and some recurring sites located in Springfield and other communities of Greene County. LAWN is also expanding to lawns in other communities in Greene County like Republic, Ash Grove, Willard, Battlefield and Fair Grove.
LAWN was founded and organized by Deidre Argyle, Jodi McCoy, and Shauna Smith. Current sponsors are Sculpture Walk Springfield, Springfield Art Museum, Missouri State University: Art + Design Department and University of Missouri Extension (Greene County).
Take a stroll, bike ride, or cruise and enjoy artwork
brought to you by your neighbors April 23 - May 8. The LAWN site map and viewing suggestions to
locate the artworks nearest you are online at https://sculpturewalkspringfield.org/sculptures/lawn-art-with-neighbors.
IN STONEY CREEK ESTATES
David Burton is creating a lawn sculpture that can involve other members of the neighborhood.
Some neighbors have already created spin art for the display (supplies and instructions provided). It is easy and fun to do.
The next opportunity to create your own disc for the display will be on March 20.
March 20 is "won’t you be my neighbor day," the birthday of Mr. Fred Rogers. That day I will have an area set up on our garage for neighbors to create their own spin disc for placement on the picket fence lawn sculpture.
After LAWN is over, this sculpture will becomes a temporary neighborhood entrance.
I just received permission from the parks department to move this picket fence sculpture to the corner of Bailey and Kentwood on the park's owned land. It will serve as an artistic gateway into our neighborhood for a year until replaced by a different display in 2023.
Solar spotlights have been purchased
that will help to keep the display lighted. I will personally be putting down
weed barrier and mulch at the corner and around this display so that parks
staff will not have something else to mow around.
If you have questions contact David Burton by email at burtond@missouri.edu or by text at 417-848-3442.
Monday, June 10, 2019
Pastor Search 101: Seek God When Seeking a Pastor
If prayer is not the central focus of your pastor search, then all you are doing is conducting a job search. As a search committee, prayer must guide your process and decisions. You are not just searching for the best business fit. You are searching for God’s chosen man to lead.
I have now chaired two search teams. In human terms, I was not equipped. I knew of another search being conducted and the chair there was far more experienced than I. He had 30 years of Baptist work and Baptist contacts. He had worked with a number of churches. He knew people. I remember being out one evening walking my dog and thinking about the contrast. My prayer began like a pity party. “Lord, you know I do not have those contacts. I do not have that experience. Lord I hardly know where to begin.” Then it hit me. I stopped walking, took a knee and said, “Lord, this search is all yours. I am going to trust you to find the right man and to guide our process, all I can do is pray.” It was then that God began to move in people’s hearts.
The team followed a process and God did the hardest work.
I am convinced that extraordinary moves of God begin with our obedience and our desperate prayers. Give the process over to God daily, moment by moment, and be prepared to experience a tremendous spiritual growth experience.
Without God’s leading, it is easy to base the decision of a minister on feelings or emotions, people politicking in the congregation or even rumors. God is not a God of disorder and he will order your steps. If you feel pressure or are told to rush, that is not God. If there is anger and rumors flying and human pressure put on you, that is not God. If there is disorder, that is not God. God is going to ask you to seek Him and to seek advisers (remember the Holy Spirit can reach you through prayer, circumstances and other people).
It may not be in your timing. It may not be how you expect. But it is a fact, that when we humble ourselves, God moves.
If you would like to receive a packet of info containing advice on pastor searches include examples of materials, questionnaires, congregation updates and more, email me at dburton541@yahoo.com and I will email the information (as a PDF) to you. The information is free. My desire is simply to be of help to other search teams because we all have the same goal: to see more worshippers around the throne of God.
Wednesday, February 06, 2019
More of Me, Less of You
It
is a modern phenomenon where humans consistently value themselves higher than
other people they know. Some folks blame it on social media. But it shows up in
all types of conversations and behaviors.
It
could be said that we are often acting
like we want “more of me, less of you.”
Said
another way, we tend to exaggerate our own
talents and diminish the talents of others. It is a bad trait. Even worse,
there is research to back this up as a growing trend.
Most
people are very good at something and less competent at something else.
However, we have all met someone who overestimates their knowledge or ability
on a certain topic or skill.
Worse,
some people are incompetent in a particular subject yet confidently insist that
they know everything.
For
a few weeks, there was a video on
Facebook of sheep chasing a scared, young sheepdog
all over a field. We can be like that sometimes. We claim greatest in an area
but then discover we are in over our head.
This
phenomenon has a name: cognitive bias of illusionary superiority. There was a
study in 1999 is now known as the Dunning-Kruger Effect or the competence vs. confidence study.
Dunning
and Kruger examined a group of undergraduate students in several categories. After
knowing the test scores, they asked the students to estimate their results.
They
found that the students who were less competent had the tendency to
overestimate their results, despite their test scores placing them in the
bottom percentile. Even more surprisingly, students who performed better at these
tests underestimated their results.
This
effect does not only happen in the academic field; it happens in almost every subject and situation. If you take a
closer look, you will find them everywhere.
The
pressing question is: “why are the least competent people usually the most
confident ones?”
The
least skilled person often overestimates their ability because they have no
idea how much they do not know. In other words, poor performers believe they
know everything in a particular subject, and
therefore they tend to be overconfident about it.
On
the other hand, high performers are fully aware of the vastness and complexity
of their field of work. They know how much they do not know and they usually
underestimate their ability and competence in a particular area.
In
contrast to high performers, poor performers also do not learn from feedback
suggesting a need to improve. Again, this is because they already believe they
know everything.
In
reality, the Dunning-Kruger Effect is not a joke. Instead, it is a cognitive
bias that negatively impacts our society from the individual to the
organizational level.
Incompetent
people rise to the top in all kinds of organizations because they are more
confident while real talent is buried due
to self-doubt.
Mix
this Dunning-Kruger Effect in with some modern narcissism (selfie-generation), and you find a very real challenge facing us in
communities and business.
###
Saturday, January 12, 2019
You Can’t Go Home Again; But You Can be a Positive Force in Town
I grew up in Ash Grove from the 1960s to the 1980s. I managed a newspaper in Willard during the early 1990s. I have lived in Republic the past 15 years. I can confirm that these towns have changed in the last 30 to 15 years.
“You Can’t Go Home Again” is a book written by Thomas Wolfe. In it, he tells the story of an author who returns home only to discover that the town residents are mad at him because they see themselves in some of his stories. Then he writes this famous line: “Back home to time and memory which cannot be recaptured.”
For example, no matter how detailed or pleasant my memories are about the friendly small town experience of growing up in Ash Grove, things have changed. The town has changed because people have changed.
Those lazy, hazy days of the 1980s can never be recaptured. I can hop on a 10-speed bike and ride all over town, and it will not matter. I can cruise Main Street at night with my window rolled town playing music, and it will not be the same. I may even get pulled over by a local officer, but the town and the experience will be different.
If you have lived here long, you know things have changed.
Sometimes this change is due to external forces. Businesses come and go. Certainly, it can also have to do with changes in our culture. It can also be a reflection of changes in us.
However, the harsh reality is that it can also be because of the choices we have made. Sometimes towns change because good people turn a blind eye to evil or community challenges. Sometimes the changes have greed or pride at the root.
Our communities need leaders and volunteers who are positive. Our towns need community leaders that are agents of peace. This means being a community spark plug. It means devoting energy to community needs but doing it in a way that is not self-serving. It also means leading in a way that brings people together on issues, not creating a wider divide.
Being an agent of change may require you to make personal changes or alter your priorities. It may require that you establish peace in your family first.
Our communities need healthy individuals, stable families, and mission-minded churches and institutions that build and support the community.
Why wait for someone else to take a step forward to lead? Stop pretending that we can recapture the 1980s and start looking forward. While we cannot recapture past glories, we can work together to ensure a strong future for our communities.
Sign up for our Greene County EXCEL program online at http://extension.missouri.edu/greene and get regular updates about learning opportunities for Greene County leaders and volunteers.
“You Can’t Go Home Again” is a book written by Thomas Wolfe. In it, he tells the story of an author who returns home only to discover that the town residents are mad at him because they see themselves in some of his stories. Then he writes this famous line: “Back home to time and memory which cannot be recaptured.”
For example, no matter how detailed or pleasant my memories are about the friendly small town experience of growing up in Ash Grove, things have changed. The town has changed because people have changed.
Those lazy, hazy days of the 1980s can never be recaptured. I can hop on a 10-speed bike and ride all over town, and it will not matter. I can cruise Main Street at night with my window rolled town playing music, and it will not be the same. I may even get pulled over by a local officer, but the town and the experience will be different.
If you have lived here long, you know things have changed.
Sometimes this change is due to external forces. Businesses come and go. Certainly, it can also have to do with changes in our culture. It can also be a reflection of changes in us.
However, the harsh reality is that it can also be because of the choices we have made. Sometimes towns change because good people turn a blind eye to evil or community challenges. Sometimes the changes have greed or pride at the root.
Our communities need leaders and volunteers who are positive. Our towns need community leaders that are agents of peace. This means being a community spark plug. It means devoting energy to community needs but doing it in a way that is not self-serving. It also means leading in a way that brings people together on issues, not creating a wider divide.
Being an agent of change may require you to make personal changes or alter your priorities. It may require that you establish peace in your family first.
Our communities need healthy individuals, stable families, and mission-minded churches and institutions that build and support the community.
Why wait for someone else to take a step forward to lead? Stop pretending that we can recapture the 1980s and start looking forward. While we cannot recapture past glories, we can work together to ensure a strong future for our communities.
Sign up for our Greene County EXCEL program online at http://extension.missouri.edu/greene and get regular updates about learning opportunities for Greene County leaders and volunteers.
Friday, December 28, 2018
Facing Parenthood Takes True Grit
Both
of my children are now driving cars. It hardly seems possible. As they leave
the house each morning I think back to those infant years. It all goes so fast
but I still remember those pivotal moments with life.
For
example, when my son was still a newborn, there was that situation that has
become known in our family as the “incident.”
I
recall the story as follows.
The cries of an infant
awakened me. I immediately slipped into protector mode. I donned my safety
equipment and lumbered down the hall. There was no time to wipe the sleep from
my eyes. I recognized the cry, and I knew the situation from my training.
Opening the door to my son’s
circus themed room I could smell the danger. I slid the safety goggles over my
eyes and pulled on the latex gloves. I straightened my plastic body apron and
gently positioned the clothespin over my nose. My son was in trouble, and I was
ready to help.
I felt like I was entering a
combat zone. I confidentially walked to the crib, lifted my 10-day old out and
in one swift move, turned to the changing table. Unsnapping two buttons and
pulling on Velcro revealed the problem. My instincts had been correct. Off came
the diaper, out came the wipes, and then I was attacked!
This time, I was hit by
friendly fire. What seemed to be an air-activated gun began firing a yellow
liquid at me, first hitting my ear and the grazing my arm. I used the wipe to
cover and then ducked. This was the first of many brushes with danger during the
ever-changing experience of fatherhood.
One week in, I was finding
fatherhood to be life-changing. I was sleep deprived. I had not watched
television for days and my wife, and I were talking in high-pitched sing-song
voices.
From infant experiences to
the teenage years, I've put on many different uniforms to meet the challenges
of fatherhood. I have invested in the life of two children, raising them to
respect others, believe in themselves, serve their community and love God. I've
listened to them, gone to their events, coached teams, and taught driving. I've
looked danger - and hormonal teenagers -- in the eye and lived to tell about
it. That, my friend, takes true grit.
Cuba Experience Brings Lessons Home
My
wife Stacey, daughter Lauren and I visited Santiago and El Caney, Cuba the last
part of June on a 10-day mission trip. It was my first trip out of the United
States, and my wife’s third trip to Cuba.
The
experience was truly impactful for the Cubans we worked with and for us. We
went to encourage them but left being encouraged ourselves.
Stacey
and I went specifically to teach and lead a three-day marriage conference,
which ended with a service for the renewal of vows. We participated as part of
our 25th wedding anniversary. However, what was even greater to see
was the positive impact this made on 32 marriages and families.
While
not everything there can be duplicated here in western Greene County, or vice
versa, there are certain principles that we can learn and apply to us.
1. Grand
programs with hundreds of participants are sometimes an unnecessary burden. Relationships
are much more important and impactful.
2. Make
do with what you have; use what you have to reach the lost. This applies to
things in the home. I have never seen so many useful things made out of plastic
shopping bags!
3. We
Americans overemphasize material wealth. It is not our money that saves us! In
some situations, it may be our money that condemns us. Cubans look north to the
United States and their friends or relatives that live there and think they see
the answers to their problems but the truth is the answers lie elsewhere. The
answers cannot be found in American dollars.
4. Never
give up. The pastor in El Caney prayed 10 years for an American church to
partner with his church. He never gave up on his prayer.
5. There
is a strong sense of family and volunteerism in Cuba but it means something
different to them. They cannot just pick up paintbrushes and go paint someone’s
house. When they do civic work, it is always sponsored by the government (every
18-year-old does two years of civic work or serves in the military). Any extra
time is spent supporting extended family or, in the case of what we saw, church
family. That is where true volunteerism occurs in this culture.
6.
Despite a rainbow of skin colors these people all get along and are, first and
foremost, Cubans. Seems to be no identity politics here.
7. Lessons
in health and nutrition: drink coffee and visit after every meal, have fresh
juice more often, walk places when you can, wait until tomorrow on things of
less importance.
8. From
what we saw, Cubans are poor but they are not dirty; they put effort in to
looking their best for church and being clean. It proves that being poor is no reason
to not respect yourself!
9.
You can be poor and overworked and still be happy and kind and welcoming.
While
I am thankful to be home where I can flush a toilet, drink water from the
faucet, go to a store and find what I need and enjoy air conditioning, I do
miss the warmth and kindness extended to us by the people in Cuba. These are
people that we now call friends.
In
summary, it was one of the best experiences of my life! If you would like to
know more, my wife and I are happy to speak to community groups, churches or
other organizations interested in what is happening in Cuba.
Who Has the Better Haircut: Me or My Dog?
Once
every five weeks I take our family dog Otis to the Mutt Hutt in Republic for
his grooming. Sarah, the owner, does a great job. Otis always comes back
looking great, smelling better, and in a good mood after playing with the other
dogs.
Dog
grooming can’t be rather expensive, but I’m told that the clients don’t always sit
still. And there is also barking involved, and
client snacks and an occasional potty clean
up when the clients get to playing too hard!
The
day after his grooming Sarah always puts pictures of her clients to Facebook. Otis always gets
several dozen likes and a few comments regarding his appearance. At home, the rest of the family members make a
fuss over him. They even tell him he looks great.
Now
contrast this to my own experience after
a visit to Angie at NeNe’s in Republic. Every five weeks, I sit patiently in
the chair, I never make a mess, and Angie never has to give me treats!.But, I do leave happy.
Ironically,
when I post pictures of myself with a new haircut,
I get no notice. No one comments about me being a doll, adorable, or even
clean! At home, my haircut normally goes
unnoticed.
I
don’t think this discrepancy has anything to do with the skill of the people
doing the work. Sarah at the Matt Hutt and
Angie at NeNe’s both provide excellent service at a great price.
I
could take it personally and say that
people love my dog more than they love me. But I know that is not true. It all
probably says a lot more about how we Americans now feel about our pets.
Since
the 1970s, Dennis Prager (a columnist, educator, and creator of PragerU) has been asking students if they would
first try to save their drowning dog or a drowning stranger. For 40 years, he
has received the same results: “one-third vote for their dog, one-third for the
stranger, and one-third don’t know what they would do.”
Prager
adds that recently the poll has begun to shift in favor of the dog and he finds
that alarming. What we have in this poll is the classic tension between
feelings and values.
All of us feel more for a being we love than for a being we do not
know, let alone love. Therefore something must supersede our feelings -- that
something must be values.
But these values must be perceived as emanating from something higher
than our opinions.
I
take a lot of teasing about how often I post on social media about my dog. I’m
not ashamed to admit that we do baby and pamper the little fellow.
But
at the end of the day, he is a dog. While
many of us can love our four-legged companion’s,
I do hope that as a society we remind ourselves that there are some supremely
important differences between a human and a dog. Those differences are much greater than simply the price of our
haircuts.
I'd Rather Be Practicing My Little Swing
Summer is a wonderful
occasion but it is not without its downsides. One of the negatives from my
personal perspective is that warm weather means golfers will be out swinging at
tiny white balls and chasing them across acres of valuable land.
In my neighborhood, I will start
seeing these golfers loading their bags into the trunks of their cars at 6
a.m., hands trembling from half-dozen cups of coffee, eyes red from waking at
such an early hour.
Off they will go for another
relaxing day on the golf course, only to return pale and shaken, swigging from
bottles of Mylanta, after their scores ballooned out of control and their blood
pressure with it.
I realize this commentary is
likely to provoke a rash of vicious letters from golfers who will grab a stubby
No. 2 pencil from their golf bags and scrawl, "What do you know about
golf? You probably have never even played the game!" That is not, however,
true. I distinctly remember the first time I played golf. I took a 23 on the
first hole.
See, there was this creek in
the middle of the fairway, which struck me as kind of an odd place for a body
of water. Anyway, I kept plunking ball after ball into this creek. Finally, I
huddled with the other members of my college-aged foursome.
"Men," I said.
"Let me be brutally honest here. There are only 10 or 12 hours of daylight
left, at which point I'll probably still be out her trying to clear this creek.
So, how about letting me throw the ball the rest of the way?"
Everyone agreed that would be
the way to go since there was a crowd of golfers directly behind us whining
about not being able to tee off. Anyway, things did improve a great deal over
the next 17 holes. I finished with, I don't know, a 219 or something. So, don't
tell me about suffering.
The sad thing about golfers
is that they are not content to simply play their game and be done. Instead,
they insist on recounting, in detail, every single moment of their round. I
don't know if you've ever sat and listened to a golfer drone on about his
approach to a dogleg left, but it is an unsettling experience.
I have been at parties and
actually dozed off during heated discussions about the Maxifly DT ball, only to
be awakened with one elbow in the punch blow.
There is one more thing that
captivates me about golf: the imaginary little swing golfers like to take. A
friend of mind used to demonstrate his golf swing in all types of settings.
You'd be in the middle of a conversation with him when, out of the blue, he'd
take this imaginary golf swing.
To my knowledge, only golfers
display this sort of bizarre behavior. If you are talking to a softball player,
he will not suddenly take an imaginary throw from the catcher and make a
sweeping tag of second base. A tennis player won't suddenly pause in
mid-conversation and toss an imaginary ball in the air and pretend to serve.
But golfers take imaginary
swings at the ball all of the time. I'll tell you, instead of worrying about
their grip and back swing, they need to worry about that little swing.
Friday, December 21, 2018
Are you Crazy Busy? Eliminating Pride and Setting Priorities are Key to Regaining Joy (and Sanity)
“Hello, I am
busy.” That has nearly become the standard greeting in the United States of
America.
But there is an answer that brings
improvement and it is not simply better
“time management” according to David Burton, county engagement specialist in
community economic development with University of Missouri Extension.
“The
truth is, most people feel frazzled and
overwhelmed much of the time. We're distracted and preoccupied in the same
sorts of ways--struggling under the weight of work, family, exercise, bills,
church, school, friends, and a barrage of requests, demands, and desires,” said
Burton. “It's safe to say that on a typical day for most of us, our
responsibilities, requirements, and ambitions add up to more than we can
handle.”
Burton
says that after having a frantic 2018, he
has been thinking about New Year’s resolutions. Someone suggested he read the
book “Crazy Busy” by Kevin DeYoung, and the book hit a nerve.
“The
biggest dangers arising from this hectic and frustrating modern life are not
what we might expect,” said Burton. “An immediate and obvious threat is that
busyness can ruin our joy. When we're frantic and frenzied, we're more prone to
anxiety, resentment, impatience, and irritability.”
According
to the book, Burton says our chaos of busyness is at least partly self-created.
Often pride is a factor.
“We
are busy because we try to do too many things. We do too many things because we
say yes to too many people. We say yes because we want these people to like us
and pat our back; we fear their disapproval,” said Burton.
Busyness
also springs from such prideful factors as our tendency to overestimate our
importance, our ambition to prove ourselves, or poor planning resulting from
our refusal to seek help.
How
can we tell when pride has made us frantic and overwhelmed? Here's a
self-diagnostic question you may find helpful: Am I trying to do good--or to
make myself look good?
If
that question hits you hard, it make be
time to change some priorities. That can alter the way we parent, what we do
with electronic devices, and how we approach rest according to Burton.
“We
are supposed to be busy but in the right way. The antidote to over-busyness
isn't sloth and indifference. It isn't work
itself that's bad busyness, but working hard at the wrong things: trying to
please or control others, trying to do things we haven't been called to do,”
said Burton.
An
important part of the change is taking a hard look at priorities according to
Burton.
Days
are busy and times are tough. That means setting priorities in our personal and
professional lives is more important now than ever before.
“I
didn’t always appreciate the need for setting priorities in life but it is something I’ve come to appreciate
since having children,” said Burton. “I’ve got lots of different interests and
a very long bucket list. I also have a hard time saying no. That isn’t a good
combination.”
However,
being stretched too thin makes it impossible to do great work in core areas.
“After
deciding your priorities decide what you need to
meet them. If your priority is time, then you need to protect some of yours,”
said Burton. “Our challenge is to find the balance we each need for meeting our
priorities.”
Then
get some rest. Burton suggests taking at least one day per week to rest or do
something that rejuvenates you.
For
more information, contact David Burton by email at burtond@missouri.edu
###
Never "Just Settle" When It Comes to God's Kingdom
I
listened to a three-minute podcast recently that was posted by Hosea Bilyeu. It was out of
Genesis 11. He talked about how in that story, Tara moves his family – which
includes Lot and Abram -- out of Ur with the intention of going to Canaan. But
they stopped enroute at Harran. Then Hosea
uses this phrase: “settled for something
less than what God had intended.”
That
just reminded me that during 2018, God impressed that phrase – do not settle – on me. I
think It has many applications in our life and the life of our church. Let us
never settle for less than what God has in store for us. There are great days
ahead and may we never be willing to “just
settle” on things regarding his kingdom.
Tuesday, January 03, 2017
14 days as a P.O.W.
It
was 1944 and the evening air in northern Italy was hot and humid. Warren
Richter had just taken food to American troops in the Venetian Valley. Those
troops were moving east. Richter was speeding back toward a rendezvous with his
unit in an U.S. Army Jeep, but had reversed direction
in the dark.
Then
he came to a junction in the road.
“It
was moonlight and I didn’t realize I was on the wrong road until I entered the
shadows of a long row of trees. Then, I suddenly saw I was in the middle of a
German Panzer division, sitting quietly in the shadows,” Richter recalled.
Richter
recalls sitting and wondering if he should stop and act like he was part of the
German unit or whether he should floor the accelerator and try to out run the
guns with his jeep.
Richter
continued to move slowly until he saw moonlight through the trees. “I had
almost decided to try and out run the Germans when I was stopped,” said
Richter. “They yelled for me to stop and I jerked the jeep to a stop and threw
my hands up toward the sky. There is still a landmark there where I jabbed two
holes in the sky with my fists. I remember looking up at the gun turret on the
tank and there were rifles pointed down at me.”
A
German officer, who Richter later learned was named Dr. Al Pitrock, stepped
from the tank and told Richter he was prisoner. “When he was walking toward me
I said, ‘Do you want to surrender to me?’ What he really wanted to know was what
nationality I was. I told them not to insult me by saying I was British. For
just a few moments the Germans thought I was funny … but actually I was scared
as hell.”
Dr.
Pitrock ordered the German men to frisk Richter and take over his jeep.
That
singular event marked the first of Richter’s 14 days as a prisoner of war. The
experienced forever changed Richter and his perspective on what it means to be
free.
“I
have more of an appreciation of what freedom is, and what it means, than
anyone, said Richter, a longtime resident of Bois D’Arc, Mo. “I have seen both
sides and fourteen days is long enough to be hungry and scared.”
For
14 days, Richter was held prisoner while the retreating German Panzer unit
sought to avoid contact with advancing American troops. But perhaps the most
amazing part of Richter’s World War II story is the part involving his captor,
Dr. Al Pitrock.
During
those 14 days of captivity Pitrock and Richter developed a friendship which
survived beyond the war. It was a friendship based on the realization they were
humans first and soldiers second, and neither of them a soldier by choice.
Richter,
a member of the 361st Regiment of the 91st Infantry
Division, was drafted into the Army and eventually found himself in northern
Africa training for the landing at Normandy.
During
that time (1944), General Mark Clark, commander of the 5th Army,
called for reserves out of Africa. That included Richter’s unit and he was
assigned to kitchen duty with the specific objective of taking chow forward to
the fighting men.
While
in Italy, Richter earned a reputation among the men for his special “Ash Grove
recipe” donuts. After the war, it was his capture and escape that gained him
fame. However, Richter might not have lived to retell the story had the German
officer, Dr. Pitrock, not gone through Richter’s billfold the evening he was
taken prisoner of war.
“That
German officer (Pitrock) saw my picture of David (Richter’s son) and June
(Richter’s wife) and then reached into his own pocket and pulled out his wallet
and showed me pictures of his wife, a native of New York City, and his
daughter.”
Those
family pictures almost immediately formed a bond between Richter and Pitrock,
who spoke fluent English. “We spent most of the day just talking and we quickly
discovered a common bond. Both of us were drafted and neither of us wanted to
fight,” recalled Richter.
The
retreat of Dr. Pitrock’s 26th SS Panzer Division was a miserable
endeavor. Every day the unit hid in the mountains and each evening they moved northward,
leading the Germans into worse conditions. “Even while they were retreating,
the Germans burned villages, killed innocent people, stole food and raped
nearly every woman they came in contact with,” said Richter who packed rifles
and supplies for the Germans as they moved. “The retreating German Panzer
division even blew up bridges behind them but the American’s stayed within two
hours of us.”
Richter
survived the cold mountain weather by sharing half a blanket with another
German solider, wrapping his feet with newspaper before sticking them in his GI
boots and eating stale bread and water. Despite the hardships of his capture
Dr. Pitrock offered Richter hope by taking a personal interest in him. He even
slipped Richter an occasional chocolate bar.
On
his 13th day of captivity, Richter was sitting beside Pitrock
watching an allied task force through binoculars in a valley below. “We were
sitting there together and Pitrock asked me what time the next task force would
go through the valley. I asked him if it was for his own information or for the
German Army and Al replied it was for his own information,” said Richter. “I
told him more would be along soon, probably at dusk.”
“The next night, we made our way down into the
valley. Al had the password and we passed through sentinel after sentinel. At
the crack of dawn we were behind a stone wall. We could hear an American task
force moving in. It was the 10th Mountain Division,” said Richter,
moving up on the edge of his seat with excitement as he repeated his often told
tale of escape.
Then,
as suddenly has Pitrock had taken Richter prisoner 14 days before, Pitrock
released Richter and told him to follow a path down toward the advancing
Americans. Pitrock was saving Richter’s life by helping him escape but
jeopardizing his own life within the German Army.
“The
troops in the trucks passed by me and just stared. They could not imagine what
I was doing standing there in German territory. Finally, 14 MPs came and picked
me up.”
Richter
was taken back to camp and interviewed by Colonel Rudolph Broedlow. “The first
thing I did when I got back was write a letter home to tell my folks I was
fine,” said Richter.
Ironically,
the unit’s mail orderly had been instructed several days before to gather up
Richter’s possessions and send them home. “Thanks to the delay of the mail my
letter got home the same day as the package of my belongings. In fact, my
mother walked into the post office back home and got the mail and there was my
letter. Then the postmaster handed her the telegram telling her I was missing
so she got the latest news first.”
In
the meantime, the Germans, for letting Richter “get away,” arrested Pitrock.
But, within a few days, the Germans released Pitrock, only to have him captured
by the Americans. Thanks to a pleading letter from Richter to the corporal of
the American prison camp, Pitrock was cared for and used in camp to separate
captured troops by nationality. “I told the corporal to take care of Pitrock
because he had taken care of me,” said Richter.
Dodgeball Tournament Benefits Persecuted Church
This is a project my son Matthew has undertaken and I'm sure proud of him. I'm posting it here in order to be able to share it more widely.
EVENT TITLE:
Dodgeball Tournament. This dodgeball tournament is designed to raise awareness
and money to fund family medical packages for families fleeing from religious
persecution and ISIS in Syria.
COST: $25 dollars
per team of 5.
TIME AND DATE:
January 7, 2017, at 2 pm (start)
LOCATION:
Fellowship Center at Ridgecrest Baptist Church. 2210 W. Republic Road, Springfield,
MO
PRE-REGISTRATION:
Sign up for the tournament and pay ahead of time is preferable but people/teams
can show up the day of the event. Teams
can sign up at http://seniorprojectdodgeball.eventbrite.com
DONATIONS:
Clicking on the same link and the “ticket” option provides an option to make a
donation. $35 will fund the purchase of product in the kits as well as
delivery of a family medical kit to refugee camps in Iraq, Sudan, Nigeria and
Syria. The packets are customized to meet specific needs and will include items
like antibiotic creams, infant formula, diapers, feminine hygiene products,
pharmaceuticals and other supplies. All the purchasing of the kits/supplies is
being done through Voice of The Martyrs. VOM is an organization that helps
spread awareness of religious persecution and has a program and network in
place to help Syrian families.
BENEFIT T-SHIRTS:
T-shirts have also been created and are being sold to raise money for this same
project. People can purchase these until Jan. 2 online at http://greekcornerprinting.com/mneytees-fund-raising.
Some will be for sale at the event and additional orders will also be taken
then.
PROJECT BACKGROUND: All students in English IV Honors at Republic High School
have to create a senior project that involves a research paper, a product/event
related to the topic, and then finally a display and presentation for the
public as a capstone. Students research an area of interest to them. Past examples
have seen students create music albums, books, art shows and community projects
for good causes. Matthew has chosen the “persecuted church” as the topic for his
senior research project. He is interviewing missionaries and people who have
faced persecution and is also working with an international group headquartered
in Oklahoma called Voice of the Martyrs (VOM). It is an organization that
supports and ministers to Christians who are being persecuted for their
beliefs. The VOM has a goal of creating awareness of Christian persecution
taking place worldwide.
Wednesday, January 06, 2016
Fatherhood Takes True Grit
A flash-writing contest entry I just finished.
The cries of an infant awakened me. I immediately slipped into protector mode. I donned my safety equipment and lumbered down the hall. There was no time to wipe the sleep from my eyes. I recognized the cry, and I knew the situation from my training.
Opening the door to my son’s circus themed room I could smell the danger. I slid the safety goggles over my eyes and pulled on the latex gloves. I straightened my plastic body apron and gently positioned the clothespin over my nose. My son was in trouble, and I was ready to help.
I felt like I was entering a combat zone. I confidentially walked to the crib, lifted my 10-day old out and in one swift move, turned to the changing table. Unsnapping two buttons and pulling on Velcro revealed the problem. My instincts had been correct. Off came the diaper, out came the wipes, and then I was attacked!
This time, I was hit by friendly fire. What seemed to be an air-activated gun began firing a yellow liquid at me, first hitting my ear and the grazing my arm. I used the wipe to cover and then ducked. This was the first of many brushes with danger during the ever-changing experience of fatherhood.
One week in, I was finding fatherhood to be life-changing. I was sleep deprived. I had not watched television for days and my wife, and I were talking in high-pitched sing-song voices.
From infant experiences to the teenage years, I've put on many different uniforms to meet the challenges of fatherhood. I have invested in the life of two children, raising them to respect others, believe in themselves, serve their community and love God. I've listened to them, gone to their events, coached teams, and taught driving. I've looked danger - and hormonal teenagers -- in the eye and lived to tell about it. That, my friend, takes true grit.
The cries of an infant awakened me. I immediately slipped into protector mode. I donned my safety equipment and lumbered down the hall. There was no time to wipe the sleep from my eyes. I recognized the cry, and I knew the situation from my training.
Opening the door to my son’s circus themed room I could smell the danger. I slid the safety goggles over my eyes and pulled on the latex gloves. I straightened my plastic body apron and gently positioned the clothespin over my nose. My son was in trouble, and I was ready to help.
I felt like I was entering a combat zone. I confidentially walked to the crib, lifted my 10-day old out and in one swift move, turned to the changing table. Unsnapping two buttons and pulling on Velcro revealed the problem. My instincts had been correct. Off came the diaper, out came the wipes, and then I was attacked!
This time, I was hit by friendly fire. What seemed to be an air-activated gun began firing a yellow liquid at me, first hitting my ear and the grazing my arm. I used the wipe to cover and then ducked. This was the first of many brushes with danger during the ever-changing experience of fatherhood.
One week in, I was finding fatherhood to be life-changing. I was sleep deprived. I had not watched television for days and my wife, and I were talking in high-pitched sing-song voices.
From infant experiences to the teenage years, I've put on many different uniforms to meet the challenges of fatherhood. I have invested in the life of two children, raising them to respect others, believe in themselves, serve their community and love God. I've listened to them, gone to their events, coached teams, and taught driving. I've looked danger - and hormonal teenagers -- in the eye and lived to tell about it. That, my friend, takes true grit.
Thursday, November 19, 2015
First Chapter in Book I'm working on: "The Church Critic"
Since several have asked about my short story that won 2nd place in the Missouri Writer's Guild contest for short fiction, I'm going to share the first page here. Although I wrote it as a short story I really consider this the first chapter of a book and I'm working on more chapter.
Read the first page and you will get the idea of where this story is going. But don't be fooled, I've got plenty of surprises planned along with a climax and ending that you may not expect.
Read the first page and you will get the idea of where this story is going. But don't be fooled, I've got plenty of surprises planned along with a climax and ending that you may not expect.
The Church Critic
My
page one column for the Plano Herald
was provocative and I didn’t care. The text was still making me laugh, even as
I read it for the twentieth time.
"I
was greeted warmly at the door of Scenic Avenue Christian Church, and then left
to fend for myself. Once inside I was asked to move out of my cozy aisle seat
by a member who had obviously sat in that seat for 50 years. The choir music
was plentiful but missing male voices and rhythm. The offering plate was nearly
empty by the time it reached me but by the time it did I was nearly asleep.
"The
sermon was a neat 21 minutes. It might have been shorter if the reverend hadn't
had to consult his notes so often after losing track of his thoughts. The
actual message took two minutes, reinforcing its meaning took 18 minutes. In
all fairness, the preacher dove into his sermon with personal anecdotes setting
up his theme that -- well, I'm not sure what his theme was but I enjoyed the
anecdotes."
When
ink is in your veins, there is always something special about seeing text in
print. But, I was surprised last week when Don Rigby had pointed his thick
index finger and his fat cigar directly at my face and assigned me this new
column.
"I'm
adding this to your regular beat," coughed Rigby. "You can thank me
later."
Rigby's
thick fingers were crowded together on his hand. This helped explain why he
typed with only his index fingers. His cigar was more chewed than smoked. He
smoked one cigar a day but ate two a day.
“Since
you are asking me to write a weekly review of local churches you should know,
I’m agnostic.”
Thursday, October 22, 2015
Request for Mission Trip Funds for Matthew
A request from our son regarding his upcoming mission trip to El Salvador.
Dear friend:
I am writing because I want to share with you an exciting
opportunity I have been given. I am also hoping that you might want to support
me in my efforts to be part of this amazing mission. My church (Ridgecrest
Baptist Church) is taking a mission trip to El Salvador over spring break and
several of my friends in the youth group are going with the youth leaders as part
of this team. We are leaving March 5 and will return home March 12.
I am looking forward to the chance to meet new friends,
experience a new culture, and share the love of Christ. We will spend most of
our ministry days with Remar Orphanage in San Miguel. The orphanage currently
has about 20 children. Most of these kids have been removed from their homes
due to sexual abuse. In additional to some light construction we will also be doing relational evangelism. Our youth band, of which I am part, will also lead some worship services.
I want to ask you to start praying for my team and for me
right now. I know this is going to be a challenging experience. This is my second trip to El Salvador and I am excited to go, but nervous at the same time. You can also pray for the people I will
meet. This is a third world country and they are very poor. They are in need of
many things, but most importantly they need Jesus Christ.
One of my biggest challenges is the cost of the trip. It
will cost me $1,000 to go on this trip. Would you please consider giving to my
cause? If you are able to give financially, you will receive tax credit for
your donation. Make sure I have your correct address so we can send your
contribution statement at the end of the year. Please make your check payable to “Ridgecrest Baptist Church” and mail
it back to me at: 2311 E. Kentwood, Republic, Mo. 65738. The deadline for payment on my trip is January 16. If you would rather, you could also directly donate to my mission trip online at https://app.managedmissions.com/MyTrip/matthewburton2.
Thank you so much in advance for your generosity. Even if
you cannot give financially, please pray. Our team will need every prayer
possible. I know God is going to provide and I cannot wait to see what He has
in store for me this summer.
Sincerely,
Matthew L. Burton
Sunday, September 13, 2015
As Fast as a Speeding Tractor
I’ve read remarkable stories in the world news over the years about fast running humans who have competed against horses, trains and even race cars. Apparently, it is even possible to race the wind and race against time. But one example I’ve never heard tossed around as admirable is racing against a tractor. Yet, that is exactly what I did during the Lockwood Festival back in 1983.
My brother and I grew up in Ash Grove. We paid a visit to the Lockwood Festival that year to participate in a community cross country race at the Lockwood golf course. The first-annual race was set up by some of the local men who, based on appearance, where local farmers.
We arrived at the Lockwood golf course in our running uniforms and our fashionable 1980s style Gortex running suits. We were greeted by the race officials – all in their overalls – at the sign-in desk. From what I recall, about 40 runners showed up at the golf course. I remember warming up and being eager to begin. You could sense the anxiousness in the crowd of runners as we surveyed the golf course. One question that arose in our minds was, “Where exactly is the course?” The golf course was not marked in any way (traditionally, a lime mark is used on the grass and runners follow the line). No line existed on the Lockwood golf course that year. How were we supposed to know where to run?
Our question was soon answered when an old Ford tractor was backed out of the equipment shed and driven on to the golf course by an elderly gentleman in overalls. A race official stepped toward the group and explained the rules of the race. The man, in all seriousness, told us that we were to follow the tractor after he blew the whistle. The grass was wet with dew and he assured us that the tires would leave tracks that we could easily follow. I flashed a glance, and a small smirk, at my brother. Using today’s lingo, I was actually thinking, “What the heck?”
The old man on the tractor -- clad in a ball cap, flannel shirt and overalls -- sat only 20 yards in front of the runners. He started the tractor again. He put the tractor in gear. Then the race official blew the whistle and 40 runners took off straight down the fairway right past the tractor.
As I recall, there was a lot of confusion until the old man on the tractor got it in a high gear. Then as he sped toward the front of the pack he started yelling at us to turn around and follow him. The pack of runners slowed to a trot and the driver made a quick corner around some trees and got the tractor in high gear. He now had the tractor opened up as much as it would go. My brother ran directly behind the tractor for the entire two mile race. Occasionally the man would turn around on the tractor, see him just a few yards behind, and shake his head.
After the race, the tractor driver was obviously amazed that my brother had been able to run as fast as his speeding tractor. When we talked with the tractor driver and the race official two things became apparent. One, they didn’t really understand why anyone would want to run all of the time “just for fun.” But two, they also admitted to not believing anyone could run as fast as a speeding tractor.
My brother and I grew up in Ash Grove. We paid a visit to the Lockwood Festival that year to participate in a community cross country race at the Lockwood golf course. The first-annual race was set up by some of the local men who, based on appearance, where local farmers.
We arrived at the Lockwood golf course in our running uniforms and our fashionable 1980s style Gortex running suits. We were greeted by the race officials – all in their overalls – at the sign-in desk. From what I recall, about 40 runners showed up at the golf course. I remember warming up and being eager to begin. You could sense the anxiousness in the crowd of runners as we surveyed the golf course. One question that arose in our minds was, “Where exactly is the course?” The golf course was not marked in any way (traditionally, a lime mark is used on the grass and runners follow the line). No line existed on the Lockwood golf course that year. How were we supposed to know where to run?
Our question was soon answered when an old Ford tractor was backed out of the equipment shed and driven on to the golf course by an elderly gentleman in overalls. A race official stepped toward the group and explained the rules of the race. The man, in all seriousness, told us that we were to follow the tractor after he blew the whistle. The grass was wet with dew and he assured us that the tires would leave tracks that we could easily follow. I flashed a glance, and a small smirk, at my brother. Using today’s lingo, I was actually thinking, “What the heck?”
The old man on the tractor -- clad in a ball cap, flannel shirt and overalls -- sat only 20 yards in front of the runners. He started the tractor again. He put the tractor in gear. Then the race official blew the whistle and 40 runners took off straight down the fairway right past the tractor.
As I recall, there was a lot of confusion until the old man on the tractor got it in a high gear. Then as he sped toward the front of the pack he started yelling at us to turn around and follow him. The pack of runners slowed to a trot and the driver made a quick corner around some trees and got the tractor in high gear. He now had the tractor opened up as much as it would go. My brother ran directly behind the tractor for the entire two mile race. Occasionally the man would turn around on the tractor, see him just a few yards behind, and shake his head.
After the race, the tractor driver was obviously amazed that my brother had been able to run as fast as his speeding tractor. When we talked with the tractor driver and the race official two things became apparent. One, they didn’t really understand why anyone would want to run all of the time “just for fun.” But two, they also admitted to not believing anyone could run as fast as a speeding tractor.
Friday, July 24, 2015
Be the Family Leader God Intended You to Be!
Most of us learn by observing the actions of others. But when it comes to leadership in a family unit, not everyone gets to observe a good example growing up.
My own experience as being the "head of the household" has been a mixture of learning from observation, learning from my own mistakes, listening to the advice of those older and wiser than myself, and having the benefit of a praying wife. My children have also done more than they realize to impact my leadership. As soon as they could talk I realized that little eyes were watching my every move and word.
When it comes to leadership in the family there are two principles I have found to be key: 1) wives recognizing husbands as the leader of the family and husbands being willing to take on that responsibility and 2) remembering that little eyes are always watching.
BEING THE LEADER
With that first principle I know I cant ask my wife or children to do things I would not do myself. I need to led the way and set the example by doing things I would ask for them, like picking up my own socks, keeping my part of the house picked up, being kind to our neighbors, being generous to others, praying about important decisions, etc. I am no longer a child myself and I no longer need a mother (but I do have a wife.)
I also have to take on the responsibility of leading my family in spiritual matters. There is no way around it. The Bible is clear on this matter: As the main character in courageous says, "where are you oh men of courage?" Men, we have to step up as leaders in our home.
But speaking from experience, woman have to allow their husbands to be leaders. Don't simply take over, or nit-pick the leadership role your husband takes on. My wife and I can speak to this issue from experience. My wife had to make it a matter of prayer to back off and allow me to excerpt leadership. At the same time, I was being negligent in my leadership role. It was a whole lot easier to let Stacey take on that role. But you know what we found: the whole family functioned better when I took on that role.
LITTLE EYES ARE WATCHING
The second point, that someone is watching all of the time, was driven home a few weeks ago. I was fishing at Bennett Springs with my children, wife and father in law. It was the first day of spring break for my kids. Lauren had already caught her limit so we moved up to the spring where I staked out a great spot on one of the large rocks along the bank, giving me a great angle from which to ask directly in to the spring.
After fishing for 30 minutes with no luck, Matthew and I got our lines tangled. In a moment of absent mindedness, I told him I would come help him and I stepped straight off the boulder in to the spring. To answer the most common question I've receives, yes, the water is cold. My main concern was for the items in my billfold and the cell phone attached to my hip.
I came up out of the cold water with a different attitude than when I go for a normal swim. In fact, my son said just last week, "Dad, I didn't know you even knew those words." See, that was another reminder to me that little eyes are always watching and listening. I did regain my composure and we had a great day of fishing and laughter, all at my expense. But it reminded me of the example I need to set as a leader in my house. Little eyes are always watching.
When a father does a chore at home or leads the family it is important to be careful about what we say and do. Our Christian witness is on the line. We also set an example for these children in our attitudes about work, the way we treat our wives: little eyes are watching.
At one time, I was not so aware of the eyes that follow me. However, raising two children has helped me to see them. My children are a nightly reminder that I need to guard against what I say, what we do and what we allow in our home. Little eyes are watching.
I can think of one person in particular who impacted life with his example: my maternal grandfather, Orlis Farmer. He looked after everyone in our family. If he ever drank, I never knew it. If he ever swore, I never heard it. What I did know was that he went to church, read his Bible, and lived every day with a steady grace, humility and compassion consistent with Christianity.
In my grandfather I saw a man who was strong because he went to church and lived out his Christian faith. His example was important because my little eyes were watching.
The Bible makes reference several times to the importance of our example. 2 Timothy 1:5 says, “I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.”
Every parent or head of a household has a chance to exhibit leadership and servant hood. Each person also has a chance to set an example for the little eyes in their house, their neighborhood, their community and their church's it is important because little eyes are watching, and learning.
My own experience as being the "head of the household" has been a mixture of learning from observation, learning from my own mistakes, listening to the advice of those older and wiser than myself, and having the benefit of a praying wife. My children have also done more than they realize to impact my leadership. As soon as they could talk I realized that little eyes were watching my every move and word.
When it comes to leadership in the family there are two principles I have found to be key: 1) wives recognizing husbands as the leader of the family and husbands being willing to take on that responsibility and 2) remembering that little eyes are always watching.
BEING THE LEADER
With that first principle I know I cant ask my wife or children to do things I would not do myself. I need to led the way and set the example by doing things I would ask for them, like picking up my own socks, keeping my part of the house picked up, being kind to our neighbors, being generous to others, praying about important decisions, etc. I am no longer a child myself and I no longer need a mother (but I do have a wife.)
I also have to take on the responsibility of leading my family in spiritual matters. There is no way around it. The Bible is clear on this matter: As the main character in courageous says, "where are you oh men of courage?" Men, we have to step up as leaders in our home.
But speaking from experience, woman have to allow their husbands to be leaders. Don't simply take over, or nit-pick the leadership role your husband takes on. My wife and I can speak to this issue from experience. My wife had to make it a matter of prayer to back off and allow me to excerpt leadership. At the same time, I was being negligent in my leadership role. It was a whole lot easier to let Stacey take on that role. But you know what we found: the whole family functioned better when I took on that role.
LITTLE EYES ARE WATCHING
The second point, that someone is watching all of the time, was driven home a few weeks ago. I was fishing at Bennett Springs with my children, wife and father in law. It was the first day of spring break for my kids. Lauren had already caught her limit so we moved up to the spring where I staked out a great spot on one of the large rocks along the bank, giving me a great angle from which to ask directly in to the spring.
After fishing for 30 minutes with no luck, Matthew and I got our lines tangled. In a moment of absent mindedness, I told him I would come help him and I stepped straight off the boulder in to the spring. To answer the most common question I've receives, yes, the water is cold. My main concern was for the items in my billfold and the cell phone attached to my hip.
I came up out of the cold water with a different attitude than when I go for a normal swim. In fact, my son said just last week, "Dad, I didn't know you even knew those words." See, that was another reminder to me that little eyes are always watching and listening. I did regain my composure and we had a great day of fishing and laughter, all at my expense. But it reminded me of the example I need to set as a leader in my house. Little eyes are always watching.
When a father does a chore at home or leads the family it is important to be careful about what we say and do. Our Christian witness is on the line. We also set an example for these children in our attitudes about work, the way we treat our wives: little eyes are watching.
At one time, I was not so aware of the eyes that follow me. However, raising two children has helped me to see them. My children are a nightly reminder that I need to guard against what I say, what we do and what we allow in our home. Little eyes are watching.
I can think of one person in particular who impacted life with his example: my maternal grandfather, Orlis Farmer. He looked after everyone in our family. If he ever drank, I never knew it. If he ever swore, I never heard it. What I did know was that he went to church, read his Bible, and lived every day with a steady grace, humility and compassion consistent with Christianity.
In my grandfather I saw a man who was strong because he went to church and lived out his Christian faith. His example was important because my little eyes were watching.
The Bible makes reference several times to the importance of our example. 2 Timothy 1:5 says, “I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.”
Every parent or head of a household has a chance to exhibit leadership and servant hood. Each person also has a chance to set an example for the little eyes in their house, their neighborhood, their community and their church's it is important because little eyes are watching, and learning.
Saturday, May 16, 2015
New Short Story has Journalist as Main Character
I am busy working on a couple of short stories to enter in the Springfield Writer's Guild contest this year starting in July. My goal is to always submit two short stories and honestly, I'm running behind.
This year, I'm working on several stories, all of which I see in my mind as chapters in longer novels. The working title of the first one I want to finish is, "The Church Critic." Here is a taste of how the short story/future novel chapter begins:
This year, I'm working on several stories, all of which I see in my mind as chapters in longer novels. The working title of the first one I want to finish is, "The Church Critic." Here is a taste of how the short story/future novel chapter begins:
Don
Bigby pointed his thick index finger and his fat cigar directly at my face.
"I'm
choosing you for this new assignment. Our readers love you and I'm adding this
to your regular beat. You can thank me later," he said followed by a
smokers cough.
Bigby's
thick fingers were crowded together on his hand. This helped explain why he
typed with only his index fingers. His cigar was more chewed than smoked. In
fact, he smoked one cigar a day but ate through two a day.
"Do
you have a list of places you want me to visit for this column?" I asked
while looking at the large city map on the wall.
"Son,"
said Bigby, taking the half-eaten and wet cigar out of his mouth. "I pay
you to make good decisions on the order of your site visits for this column.
All you need to know is your deadline is Tuesday at noon and this new column
will run on page one."
At
looked at the mock up page in my hand. “So we are calling it, 'The Church
Critic' and this will be a weekly review of local churches," I said. “You
know, I’m agnostic. I don’t do church.”
"Perfect.
It is met to be a critical review,” said Bigby.
