I was 12 years old when my father, looking very grave, told us-my mother, sister and me-that the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor on Oahu, one of the Hawaiian Islands. It was a picture perfect day in Summit, N.J., a charming commuter town 30 miles west of New York City. There was about a foot […]
In Autumn – a New Beginning
One late afternoon in October 1978, I found myself at a deserted outdoor restaurant in Boulder, Colorado with only the bartender for company. In the lengthening shadows of the Rocky Mountains, chilled by the wind, I stood with drink in hand suddenly overcome by a sense of loneliness and isolation. I watched the lights wink […]
A Grandfather’s Tale: Thankful for Turkey
On Building Relationships A grandfather’s Tale By David Palmer The late Dr. Conway Hunter used to sponsor an annual, four-day Thanksgiving retreat at St. Simons Island off the Georgia coast for people in recovery from substance addictions, mainly alcohol. In November of 1990, I joined a contingent from Little Rock at the retreat. I was […]
Restoring the American family: A key to greatness
“The reason there is so much violence and chaos in the black precincts is the disintegration of the African-American family.” With this statement, Bill O’Reilly, on Fox News the night of July 22, began to recast the national conversation about the plight of inner city blacks from a race problem to a family problem. “Right […]
Why the Biblically Based 12 Step Programs Work
Conversations about the “war on drugs,” a misguided and costly effort to shut down the supply of drugs have resurfaced. My position remains that if addicted people want something badly enough, they will find a way to get it whether it be Martinis, 16 ounce soft drinks or Hostess Twinkies. Drying up demand is the […]