It’s true: Life can turn on a dime

Written by Shelley Plett Tuesday, 25 January 2011 16:24

“Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road. Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go. So make the best of this test and don't ask why. It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time”

—“Good Riddance,” Green Day

 

Sometimes, despite hours of trying to find new creative words to make a point, it turns out that nothing says it like a cliche.

Life can turn on a dime.

For Douglas Hoesli, it did just that. His dime spun on black ice on the night of Dec. 23. When he left his home in Nebraska heading toward Salina, he was a carefree 22-year-old going to spend the holidays with his parents and brothers.

But within 20 miles of his destination, his mangled car was being pried apart with the jaws of life and he...

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Twain change is pure censorship

Written by Shelley Plett Tuesday, 11 January 2011 17:13

“The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter—it’s the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.” —Mark Twain

 

I don’t watch much reality TV. There is one show in particular that perfectly sums up why. It’s called “Sister Wives.”

I watched part of two episodes to get a feel of what it was about. My interpretation of the premise of the show is this: a polygamist man trying to come off as a good guy juggles his multiple wives.

The last partial episode I saw was the man (Kody) “courting” his next “soul-mate,” as his prospective next wife so sweetly labeled him.

I believe in soul-mates (as in one-on-one). And I believe in the idea of marriage (again...

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The path to parenthood is a mystery

Written by Shelley Plett Tuesday, 21 December 2010 15:27

“Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new? This child that you've delivered will soon deliver you.” —“Mary Did You Know”

 

In January 2008, a little boy was born in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, in central Asia. Either because of the death or inability of his biological parents, he was by all rights, born an orphan.

Within two months, a young American couple working their way through the international adoption maze accepted an adoption referral, setting the wheels in motion to turn a life around (make that three lives). The couple flew to Kyrgyzstan, met the baby, fell in love and flew back home, forced to leave him in the orphanage until the paperwork could be completed.

Two years and nine months later, they are...

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Jeans makers: One size doesn’t fit all

Written by Shelley Plett Tuesday, 07 December 2010 15:35

“Women usually love what they buy, yet hate two-thirds of what is in their closets.” —Mignon McLaughlin, “The Neurotic's Notebook”

 

The average height and weight of an American woman is 5 feet, 3 inches and 164 pounds.

Sounds about right. So, can someone explain why the jeans distributed within a 60-mile radius of my house are either size 0 low-rise, skinny or size 12 ultra flare, extra long?

And take it from someone who’s “below average,” it’s better to skip the petite department. Judging by that section in the stores I’ve been in lately, the blueprints for constructing jeans for a “typical” petite woman must begin with a blue outline of Danny Devito.

If the length is right (which is unlikely) then the...

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