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…
The slap heard ’round the world
Sunday night, there was a slap that should be heard around the world. Before some of you tune out, let me issue some disclaimers. I am aware that some will feel obligated to feign disinterest at anything happening within the…
Colleagues remember Randall Lolley as a brilliant mind and kind mentor to many
In 1980, Chuck Poole was a young college graduate from rural Georgia who had been convinced by a friend to enroll at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C. Poole and his wife, Marcia, loaded all their worldly possessions…
Bubba-Doo’s: A behind-the-scenes look inside the stories
Is Bubba-Doo’s a real place? What inspired this fictional short-story series, set in an old country store? Just how fictional are these stories and why might you want to keep reading them? Today, the writer answers some of the questions…
A dose of clinical grief from Stumpy at Bubba-Doo’s
I had a day off, so I went up the highway a bit. You may remember previous visits I took to Bubba-Doo’s in this column. It’s an old mom-pop gas station with a store that boasts the world’s best hamburger….
Intrigue visits a booth at BubbaDoo’s
Isn’t it funny how the best comedy and the most intriguing fiction usually write themselves? The more I visit the old general store, the more fascinating I find the people-watching there to be. That’s because I’m getting to know the…