I have to admit that for a long time, I wouldn’t read anything written by Stephen King. I was always afraid that his horror stories would… — I have to admit that for a long time, I wouldn’t read anything written by Stephen King. I was always afraid that his horror stories would keep me awake at night. After reading numerous term papers about this author, however, I finally asked my class to recommend a King story…

When you return from the movies and when your friends or family members ask you about the film you just viewed, how do you answer? Do you… — When you return from the movies and when your friends or family members ask you about the film you just viewed, how do you answer? Do you start at the beginning and give a long, detailed summary of every incident all the way through to the climax and the conclusion…

When our two daughters were in grade school, their writing instructors used to refer to students’ rough drafts as “sloppy copies.” Those… — When our two daughters were in grade school, their writing instructors used to refer to students’ rough drafts as “sloppy copies.” Those teachers probably used that phrase not only for its rhyming quality but also to emphasize that submitting such work was lazy, careless, or negligent. …

When you visit the grocery store, do you go with list in hand and methodically check off each item as you add it to your shopping cart? Or… — When you visit the grocery store, do you go with list in hand and methodically check off each item as you add it to your shopping cart? Or do you breeze in and simply cruise through the aisles grabbing whatever you think you need? Personally, I prefer the breeze-cruise-and-grab method…

Many of the students we will see in The Writing Center are a part of the “Millennials” generation and beyond. Thus, according to Neil Howe… — Many of the students we will see in The Writing Center are a part of the “Millennials” generation and beyond. Thus, according to Neil Howe and William Strauss, who wrote the book Millennials Rising, some of these young people have never done any of the following: they’ve never had to…

When my wife and I became engaged on New Year’s Day in 1984, I began to think about building a special wedding present for her. I figured… — When my wife and I became engaged on New Year’s Day in 1984, I began to think about building a special wedding present for her. I figured I’d have plenty of time to get it ready before our July 28th wedding date. Unfortunately, the process took a lot longer than…

I bought a new tee-shirt recently because the original version of this model has almost reached the end of its useful life. The old… — I bought a new tee-shirt recently because the original version of this model has almost reached the end of its useful life. The old tee-shirt served me well for almost 20 years. I know; that’s somewhat hard to believe, but let me explain. …

I’ve been thinking about death lately. My mother-in-law passed away at age 90 last week. My sister’s mother-in-law passed away at age 98… — I’ve been thinking about death lately. My mother-in-law passed away at age 90 last week. My sister’s mother-in-law passed away at age 98 about six weeks earlier, and we attended her memorial service last weekend. The six-year anniversary of our daughter’s death at age 30 is approaching. And my wife…

Like many people, one of my favorite Christmas movies is It’s a Wonderful Life with Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey. And my favorite scene… — Like many people, one of my favorite Christmas movies is It’s a Wonderful Life with Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey. And my favorite scene in the movie occurs at the end when all the townspeople visit George’s house to help him, and his daughter Janie plays “Hark the Herald Angels…