It’s one of those subtle terms we use to describe something in the superlative ranges of human behavior or achievement. It basically means to exceed or surpass the normally expected. It implies a sense of competition whereby someone outdoes the opponent in a particular feat. And when we speak of outdoing ourselves, we mean competing with self. But the term really becomes a mixture of meanings at times. For instance, if you “outdo” yourself on something, does that mean that you are outdone? In the South, that particular term means that you are […]
A Man on the Moon
Superman was a super hero in my childhood days of yore. He could leap tall buildings with a single bound and travel places faster than a speeding bullet, unless someone hit him in the head with kryptonite. When Aunt Liba bought Superman capes for Ben, Jr. and me, we failed in our attempted flight from the roof of the garage. We did fly, but did not prepare for so quick a landing. Mama’s exclamatory disclaimer for such a venture: “you had no more business doing that than a man on the moon.” Little did she realize at that moment that […]
The Energy of Expectations
When a fifteen-year-old tennis player ends up on center court at Wimbledon, she commands a fervor of respectful energy from the spectators in the stadium and on the screens in our dens. They can no longer just be spectators, because their hopes and dreams are pinned to this courageous would-be champion. Their expectations become the magic force of momentum felt by the young lady in tennis attire at the center of the world’s best venue. That’s simply a snapshot of just how great expectations can be harnessed as a form of energy felt round the world. […]
A Place Called Home
The good ol’ summertime leads many of us down the primrose paths of vacations and travels to a variety of places all over the world. Or it might just be a short spin down memory lane to visit kith and kin. Suitcases, which were dormant during the winter, are filled to the brim with clothing and sundry other articles necessary for survival on the road. Cameras are loaded with fresh batteries, wallets with cash, cars washed, and houses tided in preparation for the long-awaited journeys. Time to leave what seems to be the ho-hum ordinariness of everyday […]