Grandmother Nelise Elam was 79 years old when I flew from Chicago to Knox in Northern Indiana and took her up for her first airplane ride. She lived across the street from the grass runway where I landed in 1960. The runway has since been replaced with a shopping center and modern school buildings. A paved Knox airfield now lies outside town. I had flown my Cessna 182 there to visit relatives after Maxine and
End of Conversation
“You’re telling Noah about the flood.” That’s how fellow professor Mike Quinn stopped my narration. “Last time I heard that, I kicked the slats out of my cradle.” Cowboy Bob Westerman after listening to my tall tale. “Won’t Go.” Linotype headline machine printer Fred Barbee explaining why my headline contained too many words. “You ask Dick Elam what time it is, and he tells you how to build a watch.” Fred’s wife Eleanor. “I’m reading the
Weighing In
Professor Ken Byerley told us to “boil the fat out of the copy.” I pass his advice on, and include “Write You, before I, except after ‘Congratulations’ or ‘Thank You’ for opening email sentence.” My children now in their sixties still cringe. They have heard before. But occasionally a newcomer asks old editing teacher to critique. Recent email: Mr. Elam, you are worth your weight in gold! Thank you for your help with this. I
Penguins
World’s Fair, Chicago, 1932. Four-years-old, I saw my first penguins. Admiral Byrd’s Antarctic explorers had brought the birds—penguins jump, more than fly—to the fair grounds erected on the edge of Lake Michigan. The penguin house was cooled. Home air-conditioning was also arriving. Magellan Strait, Patagonia, 2009. Eighty-two–years-old was the last time I saw penguins. In lower South America, the penguins are smaller and colored differently from Emperor penguins in even lower Antartica. I know first hand.
Traditionalist
When I read, “…traditionalists which are aged 73-92…” in my Wall Street Journal, I took umbrage. At age 93, not only am I a ‘traditionalist,’ but I lay claim to starting the ‘tradition’ of flying the family to the holiday reunion. These end-of-year 2021 holidays will be remembered for the airline workers who called in sick, few stewardesses to help passengers get a Rudolph red-nose on, and few pilots to get airborne and switch controls to
Talk Story
When I spent a year professing in Hawaii, my oldest daughter and son-in-law brought my first two grandchildren from Texas to visit. Britt was two, Kara was six-months old. My daughter Sheryl discovered Hawaiians still retain a version of some native words. Grandparents are Tutus. Grandmother is Tutu. And Grandfathers are often called Tutu Kane. Outsiders give us a strange look when they hear Britt, now a Colonel in the Air National Guard, call his
Inflation
Smart Gal—or a Guy in the History department who needed a publication so he could get tenure—once said history repeats itself. Yep. Inflation is back. My daily Journal article says, “U.S. inflation reached a nearly four-decade high in November, as strong consumer demand collided with pandemic-related supply constraints.” Let’s talk about those inflationary 1970s and 1980s. Remember well when President Jimmy Carter—one of the world’s better guys, Naval Academy graduate, charitable carpenter—presided during gasoline shortage
A for Astrology
Thanks to internet, a recent biography of Nancy Reagan and words in the Dallas newspaper, I’m beginning to pay attention to this astrology stuff. I’m a Libra. Googled and read….. Libras are incredibly empathetic and do what they can to see the best in people… Your Libra man is an expert communicator, always knowing the perfect thing to say in any situation to come off as diplomatic, tactful and charismatic. He’ll make you laugh.
Little Brother
Three daughters often scared this ole dad but from the stories I have heard, they got their comeuppance when their little brother arrived, started walking, talking and tormenting. Oldest sister Sheryl remembers brat troubles when her high school boyfriend arrived. Little Kelson hid behind the couch where the couple smooched. When discovered, her high school date spanked him. After that encounter, her date just gave the kid a quarter to go away. Middle sister Cynthia
Tease Shirts
“You’ve already written a blog about the lettered sweat shirts your daughters give you,” said my oldest daughter. Sheryl edits and finds pictures for my weekly–dare I call the writings–essays. Yeah but this time Cynthia, daughter two, gave me a birthday tee-shirt that says, “You can’t scare me. I have three daughters .” Made me remember times daughters three did scare their mom and me. Sheryl was 13. I had driven us from San Antonio