The phone rings and you answer.  The person on the other end has a wonderful deal for you that you will not want to pass up.  It’s too good to be true.  That’s just it, it is too good to be true.  It is a scam.  One of a million scams that people all over the world are trying to pull.  Perhaps it’s a person that has fell on bad luck, or it’s additional insurance you don’t need, or maybe it’s a problem with your computer.  Whatever it is, you don’t need it.  Scammers are pesky individuals that prey on the lonely, or the unsuspecting.  Just when one scam is uncovered, another appears.  When does it end?  Have you been a victim of a scam?  If not, count yourself as lucky.

Did you ever watch Andy Griffith?  If so, you know how simple life was back then.  You know that a Sunday afternoon was spent on the front porch with family and friends drinking lemonade and catching up on the activities that occurred during the week.  It was just simple, nothing fancy.  Back then you had one phone and there was no such thing as call waiting, voicemail, or caller id.  No video games, no Amazon, and no telemedicine.  Today we have a rover, Perseverance, that roams on planet Mars.  Can you believe that?  More advances than ever in space, technology, and medicine, and yet mental health issues are increasing at a staggering rate with our youth.  So, is life better now?

Do you believe in reincarnation?  Millions of people do.  Some even have fascinating stories and facts about people that have passed that only one with intimate knowledge would know.  And what if the person that knew these facts was a child?  Many people even claim to have been reincarnated, even famous people.  Probably one of the best known is Shirley MacLaine.  Think reincarnation is baloney?  Listen to several stories and you be the judge.

What happened to having cake and a few neighborhood friends over to celebrate your child’s birthday? It seemed like just a few years ago making a homemade birthday cake, perhaps splurging for a few balloons, birthday paper plates and napkins, and getting the neighborhood kids to stop by was just enough for a great birthday celebration for your child.  You know, nothing fancy.  Just simple.  Not anymore.  No, today you have to make sure you have the best venue, theme, fancy cake, happies for all attendees, and decorations to boot.  It is no longer a simple gathering.  Some parents even hire party planners for Junior’s third birthday, even though Junior is likely to never remember it.  It is for show?  We don’t know, you be the judge.  All we know is that it isn’t like it used to be.  The average cost of a birthday party is around $400 - $500 dollars, and that’s just getting started.

Why do us southerners wish for snow every year, only to be disappointed? We get teased every year, and every year we get disappointed. Yes, it snows in the south, but in the deep south it’s a rare treat.  And when there is even the slightest forecast of snow every abled-body person is at the local grocery stocking up enough food to last a month.  You know just in case the weatherman might be wrong and it’s actually going to be a blizzard instead of the forecasted dusting.  And lord help us when it does actually drop an inch or two of snow because we don’t know how to drive.  Just take a quick drive after a dusting of snow and it’s evident from all the cars abandon on the side of the road. But we honestly can’t help it. So yes, when it does actually snow, we go a little crazy.  We buy too much, build one too many snowmen, rig up one too many homemade sleds, and get a little on the careless side.  Even if only a snowflake or two, the redneck in each of us does rejoice.

What is our fascination with Bigfoot, and if it is real, why has it eluded us year after year?  There have been Bigfoot sightings in every single state, with the exception of Hawaii.  Bigfoot is simply big business.  There are TV shows, festivals, tourism, and merchandise all centered around the mysterious Bigfoot.  Even an Oklahoman State Representative wants to get in on the tourism dollar by creating a bill that would allow hunting Bigfoot.  Do you think Bigfoot is real?  Are you a believer?  If so, get your guns ready.  Because if this bill actually passes you may have your opportunity to bag the big one.

Why does it take a lifetime to build trust and a second to destroy it?  When it comes to elected officials, loved ones, co-workers, and religious leaders our trust has waned over the years.  More and more Americans distrust than ever before.  Even the media has lost the trust of some of their most loyal viewers.  Trust is the fabric of every healthy relationship and without it we begin to question everything and everybody, and no good can come from that.

Unfortunately, everyone gets sick.  It’s that time of year when we all battle the common cold, flu, and yes, COVID-19.  The difference is how we manage through our sickness, how women deal with sickness versus men.  If you have a significant other, you know what we are talking about.  Why do men lay around moaning all day when they get a cold, but a woman still manages to cook a meal, wash a load of clothes and help the kids do homework?  Well there may be a scientific explanation if you can believe that.  It’s called Man Flu.

How many times has someone done a good deed for you, a member of your family, or a friend?  It was nice wasn’t it?  Perhaps a church member brought over soup for someone sick, or food for a family that has just had to bury a loved one, or maybe just cut the grass for someone that is overseas.  Good deeds go on all the time.  Those that perform the acts of kindness do it because it is the right thing to do.  They expect nothing in return.  Do you ever pay that act of kindness forward?  We will explore several stories of paying it forward.  You know it’s a funny thing, the act is from the heart, and yet that is exactly what it touches.  When we do an act of kindness, we feel good knowing that we helped others.  So, what are you waiting on, pay it forward?

Years ago if you had seen someone stock pilling water, food, and other survival essentials you might would have turned up your nose at them, or snickered behind their back. But today that’s a different story. More and more people are rethinking the importance of having survival kits, extra water and even more ammunition. Pandemics have a way of making people rethink survival. And when it comes to survival how many people actually have a survival plan, or have skills to live on the land? Are you prepared, or ready for the next challenge?