by Joe Rector | Oct 30, 2017 | Columnist, Rector
By Joe Rector Amy and her cousins met on a recent Sunday in Cookeville. They shared a wonderful spread of fried catfish, hush puppies, and French fries, accompanied by sweet tea and banana pudding. After all pushed back from the tables and patted full bellies, they...
by Joe Rector | Oct 23, 2017 | Columnist, Rector
By Joe Rector One of my classes read poems by Emily Dickinson. Some were light-hearted while others were much more serious. Students decided that Dickinson was obsessed with death; I didn’t disagree with them. However, her obsession caused these young folks to think...
by Joe Rector | Oct 9, 2017 | Columnist, Rector
By Joe Rector Nellie West passed away Sunday, October 1, 2017. No, most folks won’t know who she was, but her family certainly will. The following day, Tom Petty, rock legend, died after suffering full cardiac arrest. Probably, millions knew of him. Which death is...
by Joe Rector | Oct 2, 2017 | Columnist, Rector
By Joe Rector In Henry David Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience,” he says that he meets the U.S. government once a year in the form of the tax collector. He refused to pay those taxes as a means of protesting the Mexican War, which he said enlarged the Southern lands that...
by Joe Rector | Sep 25, 2017 | Columnist, Rector
By Joe Rector The announcement just came over the intercom, “Teachers, the Internet is going to be disconnected. Don’t panic!” I laughed to myself and thought, “How ridiculous is that?” The smile on my face lasted only a brief time. Then, the feelings of discomfort...
by Joe Rector | Sep 18, 2017 | Columnist, Rector
By Joe Rector The end of August and the beginning of September haven’t been the kindest of months to many folks in the country. Hurricanes in the east and infernos in the west displace families and destroy business. Our feelings go out to all who have suffered such...
