Some regional traditions are tough to explain if someone isn’t already familiar. So many of the things folks do in any area are easiest learned when we simply grow into them. For instance, in many parts of the country horse…
Blooming where we’re planted at Bubba-Doo’s
When one of your favorite hangouts is an old country store, you come to understand that you are at a small crossroads of the world. People stop in who are local. They live in the neighborhood, so to speak. Then…
A native daughter returns to Bubba-Doo’s
The list sent with me to Bubba-Doo’s was quite specific. Good thing, too. My tipping point on chaos when it comes to a list is three items. To be clear, you can tell me any two things and I will…
Concern for our nation at Bubba-Doo’s
“Pastor, I just don’t understand how we got here.” Now if you feel like you just dropped in on a conversation that had already started, that’s understandable. Let me catch you up on a fascinating chat I participated in the…
A thoughtful question at Bubba-Doo’s
Before I arrive at my favorite country store, I can know instinctively who I might see once I get there. All I’ve got to do is glance at my watch. Based on what time it is, I’ll have a decent…
Bubba-Doo’s takes flight
A buzz was in the air. There was no disputing that something unusual was happening. Although the big news involved my favorite hangout, I actually heard about it at my office rather than at the store. Bubba-Doo’s was going to…
A Bubba-Doo’s regular loses a loved one
I stopped outside the door at my favorite hangout, Bubba-Doo’s, to hold it open for an acquaintance. I knew Landrum from his occasional visits there to the country store. He showed up some afternoons and very rarely said much. In…
You can(’t) go home again
A trip home to be with family in the face of an illness gave an interesting lens to the dynamics of return. Then on the heels of that, the memorial service of a formative ministry figure called the writer also…
Bubba-Doo’s gets a new sign
In the early morning air, the trip to the hospital took on an urgency all its own. Somehow, the crispness of a breath outside at 6:30 a.m. merely punctuated the departure from normal. I was headed to the city for…
The rest of the story: Standing in someone’s winter
Last year, I wrote a column about a high school teacher who had made a substantive difference. It was the story of a woman who changed the trajectory of my life. I could not have foreseen the positive response I…
An internet celebrity visits Bubba-Doo’s
I don’t know about you. But out-of-town company arriving for a visit is a real thrill at our house. We love having visitors, and my wife and I expend some effort getting ready for our guests. Obviously, there is some…
A thief strikes Bubba-Doo’s
Have you ever walked into a place, read the room and known instantly that something was off? A stop by my favorite old country store the other day was one of those times. I stepped through the door and could…