Not often —but sometimes — we put a jigsaw puzzle together at my house. We usually choose the puzzle based on the picture on the box. Maybe it’s a puzzle of a flower garden, or a mountain scene. Once, we had a puzzle of a bunch of jelly beans scattered over a table, and some…
I’m Ken Jones, and this is A Classic State of Mind, with A Word About … “The Question” It is, perhaps, the most famous question in all the world. A one-word interrogative; a singular syllable, opening the door to the query that begs definition. Not a ‘what’ question, asking for definition. Not a ‘when’ question,…
About a month ago, my wife got one of those cards in the mail that informed her that it was her turn to be part of a group of people called a ‘jury pool.’ She hadn’t been picked as a juror, mind you. She was just expected to serve if she was needed. Every evening…
I don’t think I’ve ever done something truly amazing in my life. My momma told me once when I was about ten years old that she thought I was an amazing cook because I made her a can of chicken soup when she wasn’t feeling well. But I don’t think she really meant it. It…
It’s my custom virtually every morning to stop on my way to my office at a local drive-up coffee hut near my house. And this morning as I pulled up to order my coffee, a young gal of twenty or so asked me for my order. “A small coffee with an added shot of espresso,”…
Last evening, as I sat in our blue chair over by the window, I became more aware of something I’m not sure I’ve thought much about, before. I became aware of my own ‘awareness.’ I will tell you what I mean. For more than 54 years, now, I’ve lived in the same house with my…
Two things happened to me this week that have had a gnawing impact on my life. I will tell you what they were. At our house, I’m sort of the ‘undeclared’ and unofficially nominated pray-er at meal time. Whether in some diner, restaurant, or sitting around our table at home, like many families, I know,…
Hi. I’m Ken Jones and this is a Classic State of Mind, with A Word About Maps … As I looked into my bathroom mirror this morning, (and combed what few hairs I have left on my head) … a curious thought came to me: I’m not sure when I discovered it, really. How difficult…
When I was in grade school, first learning how to write a story, my teacher always said great writing always addressed five important questions: Who, What, When, Where, and Why. We live in a time when asking questions and getting some kind of instant answer couldn’t possibly be much easier. Ask Alexa or Google what…
Last night, I took my wife out for pizza at one of those places where you stand on one side of a glass case, and a line of servers stands on the other side, in front of various toppings you can choose from — stuff you might like on your pizza. When it was our…