Opinion

It was brought to my attention earlier today that my missives here in this space every week have taken on a more serious tone. That is a fairly accurate description as it seems the Lord has been guiding me to be more serious of late and that tells me there must be a reason for the more dire tone. Perhaps it is due to the fact that my own life has been fairly serious of late, or maybe it is because I feel like the days we live in require a seriousness that most seem to not recognize. \\ We live in hard times. That is impossible to not see. The violence in our world is everywhere. There is now no longer “big city” crimes and violence because it happens in small town America too. The cost of living is currently spiraling upward at a rate where it is becoming more and more of a challenge to keep the bills paid and food on the table. Unemployment is rampant. The chasm between the rich and the poor is ever widening, and the world that our children and grandchildren are growing up in is becoming one that I would not ever wish for them to have to face. Yep, that is some pretty serious stuff.

I drove to Texarkana earlier than usual to meet someone who needed a prescription I’d gotten filled for him. As I neared the city limits, the light flashed ‘empty’ on my dash. Perfect, now I needed gas in my car. Something I wait forever to do, not just on Sundays So, I exited at the next off-ramp, my exit anyway, to reach my toothache friend.

Poll: Most Texas teachers consider quitting More than threefourths of Texas teachers say they have seriously considered quitting the profession largely because of a perceived lack of respect and support, according to a new survey by the Charles Butt Foundation. Excessive workload and inadequate pay were other major reasons that teachers are considering leaving, The Dallas Morning News and other media outlets reported. The percentage of teachers considering quitting has risen to 77% this year from 58% in 2020, when the foundation conducted the first survey on the subject.