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