I am from a tiny little town in Arkansas. I grew up working on the family farm. I have a master's degree, but I've still spent more time on a tractor than I have in a classroom. I raised hogs for seven years, first for FFA (president) and then for "profit". My uncle provided the capital; I provided the labor. Grew up in the Catholic Church. The priest who was there during my teen years helped me navigate some of that infamous Catholic guilt as related to my girlfriends.

Mom and Dad both worked. A lot. Mom was a banker. Dad managed a home improvement store. He served more than three decades in the National Guard. Solid middle class.

More than a little racism in that little town. I saw it, felt it early on. Mom is scared to death of Black people to this day. Circumstances led Dad to evolve quite a bit on that issue.

As to the geek/outcast idea ... all-star baseball player (there were no travel teams at that time), decent basketball player and lettered in golf in college. Had the best looking truck on campus, which helped me punch above my weight class with the ladies.

Had an Air Force scholarship, but I wanted to be a writer. Mom and Dad let me make my own decision.

Went to college to study journalism. Thought there couldn't be a better job than going to ballgames and getting paid for it. Learned about the church selling indulgences and about the Crusades. Changed my thoughts about the church.

While in college, I was working work study, working on the farm on weekends and officiating basketball and baseball games in between. I was making more money than many adults. Working hard has been part of my life since I was old enough to operate a mower.

Went into the media business straight outta school. Never got to write sports. News side.

In 1988, I voted for Bush. In 1992, as an Arkansan, I voted for Clinton. For the next decade or so, I voted for as many Republicans as Democrats, but back then there were moderate Republicans. Many would call them socialists today.

The terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, affected me a great deal. I thought our way of life was in jeopardy, and I believed President Bush when he said we were going to embark on a global war against terrorism. I swore into the National Guard 14 days later. I was 31.

My first deployment, if you could call it that, was to GTMO. So, I full well understand the concept of the government not telling the truth about important things. I got married during this deployment to a gal who liked the idea of being married to a soldier more than she liked being married. Didn't last too long, but that's OK. She is still one of the hottest gals I've ever seen.

Later, I went to Iraq as a gun truck driver with a cavalry unit. Getting shot at and shooting at people changes a person. It did me. I came home with a whole lotta rage, a gash on the left side of my head and messed up from the knees down; something VA still won't do a damned thing about other than give me pills and shots for.

I stayed in the media business and have risen to about as high as I'm gonna go. I make a comfortable living. I come and go as I please, though my coming and going is mostly to my hunting lease in South Arkansas. Today, I came across the exact Stag Arms .308 I've been looking for and there happened to be a home-defense 12 gauge in the same shop that was made of the same material, so I bought both. In February, I traded my old four-wheeler for a new Polaris. I drive a good-looking black Ford truck. My dogs are hunting dogs, though I mainly let them hunt whatever they want to. I don't care if they are well trained. I had to stop drinking entirely because I can't drink successfully, but I still have the bad habit of chewing tobacco. Chewing tobacco, not that mint-flavored dip bullshite. I sound like a redneck because I am, but I'm an educated one. My best talent in the world is being pretty damned good at putting a plastic worm or spinnerbait exactly where I want it. What I am getting at is meet me and you'll think I'm just a good ol' boy from the Arkansas rice fields.

Now, why would some people think I'm a flaming liberal or Marxist or whatever the hell they label anyone not on the extreme right flank? I believe in equal rights for everyone. I wish everyone had an equal opportunity, but I don't believe they do. I think women are capable of doing anything I can do. I have no problem helping the less fortunate. I struggle with organized religion, but I have faith. I don't give a shite about the Old Testament. My favorite part of the New Testament is The Beatitudes. I do not agree with the mindset of "I got mine; you can drop dead." Don't want kids reading certain books? If your'e not the kid's parent, why do you care? None of my business. Lots of things people get up in arms about aren't my business. I don't care who marries who. I don't think someone should be forced to bake a cake for someone, but I don't care enough to get fired up about it. No one is coming from Mexico to take my job. AI might be, though. Abortion? I ain't gonna tell a woman what she can or can't do with something inside her. Again, not my business.

This post was edited on 5/2/24 at 10:34 pm