Dr. Larry Pittman Goddard Blog

I wasn’t exactly sure why we were going where we were going.   But, I knew enough to show up at Tyler Pounds Field at the right time (whose idea was 5 a.m. flights anyway?).   I love Tyler’s airport and having been in airports, airstrips, and flat pastures with an airport sign in it and a cow-clearing flyover before landing— I certainly wish all airports were as traveler friendly as what we have in Tyler. Apparently, a group of travel friends who I met last year during a once in a lifetime Nile cruise wanted to go to the Christmas Markets across Germany, Austria, Czech Republic and Hungary.   I had never heard of such a thing but heard that everyone was given warm mulled spiced wine and you walked around in the snow in ancient city plazas and some palaces with booths all about Christmas crafts, decorations and gifts. Some of that idea sounded enticing—warm wine served by the Lions Club International at every little town in four countries; beautiful architecture and I was told,

“We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18- This much I know to be true… This is a tough battle for all us but the faith remains. Everyone who is having a difficult time today, let's think about the 'unseen'. Even if you are not 'all churchy' (I've been labeled as such at times...), there is soulful hope of what we cannot comprehend in this lifetime. This much I know to be true: It is the weak who are mean of spirit; it is the courageous who are kind… Truth be told… the ‘truth’ is rarely told … Accusations do not mean guilty. People say a lot of things; it is as if a bit of gossip is a treasure to start a conversation… a back-stabbing ice breaker… same as an ice pick! If you think about it, very few are thinking about it. Certainly, not as many as your imagination might create. You are loved by hundreds, perhaps thousands. Why spend your time

Under the spreading chestnut tree, the town’s smithy doth ply his trade…. Blacksmith making horseshoes is the theme of that poem and seems our permanent substitute teacher, Mavis Something, would quote it from memory – all about the black smith. Well, I’ve decided, after much thought… to become a ‘wordsmith’…. I will invoice most of you soon and my rates may be overwhelming but there are great rates on second mortgages now. I do love/like/cherish words.   And I collect old sayings.   For instance, a friend asked me about ‘sound sleep’ and for me to expound upon the term. I know my friend to be a University Administrator and expounding made me laugh more than the ‘sound sleep’.   As my Granddad would say, “I don’t snore.   I stayed awake all night and not once did I snore.” In the early morning with my bowl of ‘oats’ (oatmeal… but he told me it was the same oats I fed the horse, Candy, and he kept in the grain bin)… anyway, sleepily eating my oats, Granddad would solemnly

Oh, I guess I like people who say, “What’s at the picture show?” the best. People who call them ‘fruit jars’… not just ‘jars’. I like folks who are 'rare-in' to go... is that how you spell it? Rarin' ... ? Raring to go? I have often wondered if race horses 'wee wee' any different from regular horses... but I've used that phrase... I've got to piss like a racehorse for probably 40 years... I like the word ‘easy’. Like when you say, “I took a Bayer’s and finally felt ‘easy’.” Today, I'm just going to 'take it easy'... says it all... I like people who stay by their brands. Bayer’s, Kleenex, Coke… all mean a wide variety of things. And, ‘brand new’ is something I say and always hesitate afterwards thinking, “Why do I say ‘brand new’?” New is new… but ‘brand new’ is for real new. When someone buys a car—and I hate this—but folks will ask, “Is it new” and the new car owner has to say, “New to me!” I like the word ‘hankering’; don’t lik

I can’t help but think of the word, “mean”, all this past week.   I’m not mean, but I am drawn that way. Did you mean to say those mean words in that mean way? Not meaning to be mean.   Just said words.   Not mean. Did you mean to call me? I love you.   Mean it.   A friend named Molly is known for saying that.   I love you.   And Mean it.   So, me thinking all week:   Mean is not always ‘mean’…. I wonder what that means. I sometimes use the word ‘meandering’ which if read weirdly could be “MEAN-ering”… there is usually nothing mean about my mind meanderings.   I think I have a mean streak, though. I mean, like, frankly, I show my mean streak when people over use the words:    Like, Frankly (as in beginning all sentences with ‘Frankly’ or ‘Frankly speaking’—such an obvious thing and I mean it and it makes me show a mean streak…)   Frankly, actually, and ‘at the end of the day’ are overused and if I were really MEAN, I’d punch those who over say those words in the

If only I had more time… I’d try to figure out why people say, “I’m going to draw a bath…”, or “I have your bath drawn…”   When I bathe, I don’t want any drawing! If I had more time, I’d think on why people say, “it’s clouding up”… yet no one says, “It’s clouding down”. Once, just once, I'd like to be able to use the word, “skedaddling” in an everyday conversation without getting the ‘once over’… Well, when someone tells you the absolute truth, they sometimes end it with: "...and you can take that to the bank!".... Now, what would I do with a bit of information at the bank? No deposits allowed. Or, when someone is overly excited about something...'he went to town over it'.... as in, "The chocolate pie was cut and he really went to town on it, eating every bite." People are crabby but crabs, I have experienced, are not in particularly ‘bad dispositions’ to be called 'crabby crabs'....why, oh why, do we call crabby p

May 16th 1979.... forty years ago ... Initiation .... 7 brothers ... ignore the paddles and beer ... the hardest thing I have ever done in my life was keep a 4.0 grade point average during pledge ship!  Robert Schwab  and I've tried to gather contact information; no response at all from John Walker despite four attempts--he is not adviser now? We just want dinner somewhere quiet and talk rationally... Who remembers  Mark Bourenske  ? Funniest man alive... Look at my sweatage o n the shirt  Donna Moore Collum  gave me as my Big Sister! ... I was a Sweat Hog... ....That night, I was worried probably because my big brother was John Glaess who could hit a SOFTBALL out of the park! He broke the board and landed up high--like lower spine.... I really was bruised badly (All done AFTER initiation)--but that wasn't the worst thing--something unplanned and mean-spirited happened to me--NOT part of Sigma Chi and the worst thing one human could do to another. Not trying to be a d

. The people who need firecracker safety tips aren't the people who read firecracker safety tips.... Always remember and don't ever forget...He who goes forth with a fifth on the Fourth MAY not go forth on the Fifth! There are two secrets to success in Life. #1: Never tell everything you know. I’ve come to the sad realization nobody will ever triumphantly pour Gatorade on me for any reason. There's just so much disappointment in my life. I bet the YMCA dance is a lot harder to do in Chinese. I find it highly suspicious that the three bears had the dexterity to buy furniture and make porridge in the first place, not to mention making up the bedding. And getting a charge card....all highly mysterious to me. What I’m really looking for in a friend is loyalty. And a pool. Mainly just a pool. It would be kind if some people performed random acts of silence. I heard that people who talk to themselves tend to be extremely smart. Did