I always figured my father would go down in a blaze of glory, perhaps a fiery car accident because of his penchant for driving far too aggressively, or hell, even in a fight. This was, after all, the man who went toe-to-toe with a guy 20 years younger than him at a Spangles. But, life […]
August 5 will always be a difficult day Read More »
June 12, 1984. It was a warm, sunny day in Lebanon, Missouri, with a relatively cool low temperature of 66 and a somewhat toasty high of 85. Our family (Dad, Mom, brother, our collie Jody) and I had just moved from Joplin, and we were settling into yet another fixer-upper my father stumbled across while
June 12, 1984: A formative moment of my youth Read More »
Brenda Michelle Keller would have been 47 years old today. She left this life more than 34 years ago at the age of 12, but most people will never have the impact she’s had on myself and others in her far-too-short life. Like many folks, I think of Brenda often, particularly on her birthday and
Sharing an excerpt from ‘Goodbye, Butterfly’ on Brenda Keller’s birthday Read More »
The following is an excerpt from Chapter 2 of Ernie W. Webb III’s “Goodbye, Butterfly: Murder, faith and forgiveness in a small Kansas town.” The chapter introduces readers to Brenda Keller and her family. To know the Kellers is to know their faith. The son of a pastor, Bob is well-versed in God’s word, and
If you’ve read this blog, you know “The Wonder Years” is a common thread. For many of the folks in my generation, it is a masterpiece that captures growing up in the 1970s and 1980s perfectly. I’m reminded of another great episode this week as I think of a former classmate, Michael Alan Butler. Michael,
Rest in peace, Michael Butler: A classmate and humble man Read More »
My morning routine has not changed much in the past 14 years. I am typically up between 6 and 6:15 a.m., take a quick shower, have a bowl of oatmeal with a cup of coffee, and hit the door for work by 7 a.m. One of the constants every morning has been our longtime pet,
So long to our sweet Sunday Read More »
“You’re like the king of the dipshits, Ernie. And I mean that in a good way.” That’s one of many memories of Dan Ascheman, a friend and former co-worker who passed away Dec. 4 at the far-too-young age of 49. Many of us who worked with Dan at Metropolitan Community College didn’t hear the news
Twelve Days of Christmas, Part I: Rest in peace, Dan Ascheman Read More »
Aug. 5, 2019. A day I’ll never forget, and one full of memories that I’d rather not remember. Like any August day in Kansas, it was hot as hell. As I had been for the previous three weeks, I slept, as much as I could anyway, in my father’s recliner. Dad lay next to me
Four years later, the last day still stings Read More »
Brenda Keller would have been 44 years old today. On her Heavenly birthday, I’m sharing an excerpt from the book about her I’ve been working on since my last semester of graduate school in 2017. This is from Chapter 11, which focuses on the days and weeks after her tragic death, including media coverage: In
Sharing an excerpt on Brenda Keller’s Heavenly birthday Read More »
Every time I watch the movie “Big Fish,” I cry. As I wrote last year, the yarns Albert Finney’s character spins conjure memories of my father’s fascinating life, only his stories are actually true. I thought of “Big Fish” again on Saturday as we said goodbye to a childhood friend, Chris “Woody” Woodrum, only not
Woody, thank you for being the glue Read More »
