The Gifted Underachiever

My life so far

Category: What was I thinking?

Some people should have no free time to let their mind wander.

Chicken & Sausage Gumbo

Every adult Cajun male has a unique recipe for the best chicken and sausage gumbo. And being an adult Cajun male I know how to make a gumbo, but until now I’ve never made a recipe for it. Unfortunately, I can only give you the lyrics, not the music. To become a true gumbo maker takes a lot of practice and some “almosts.” Endure those, and one day you’ll arrive at […]

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Fatherhood: a rough proposition

Mothers have it easy. Their role has been proscribed since the beginning of time. They give birth. They nurture their young. They protect them, feed them and clothe them. Mothers insure their children become educated, go to church and learn healthy eating habits. So what’s left for fathers to do? That’s why being a father is the hardest job in the world. We have no idea what the hell we’re […]

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Squared off

  Working with an eighth-grader on his math homework my brain is aching for a mental salve to ease the pain. There’s been a slight but steady decline of math knowledge since my last bit of formal education. And the math I use on a frequent basis is more inherent than adhering to established educational modes; in other words, I see the answer but can’t tell you how I got […]

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About Dad

This is the eulogy I gave at my father’s funeral in November, 1993 at St. Anthony Church, Eunice, Louisiana. His smile always started out with his eyes big and wide; then his mouth would make this big round “O” and he would begin to chuckle. His eyes would then get real squinty and his mouth broke into a big, toothy grin. That’s when you knew you had just been the […]

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Long live the jester

One of my guilty pleasures was watching the uninitiated experience full-frontal Ronnie for the first time. You never knew exactly what Ronnie would do, but you knew the victim’s reaction would be one of shock, disbelief and finally the realization that he just met someone he’d never forget.

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