There is a lot of conversation in our world today around the idea of consent, and rightly so, as centuries of misogyny, patriarchy, and just general lack of empathy, have resulted in people being abused. But today, as I was sitting in our University chapel service, I was emotionally moved by the lyrics of a … Continue reading Consenting to tentative touches that lift and linger →

The mind is both a prison and an escape. Memories can hold you captive, but imagination can set you free. Sometimes my mind remembers a cool breeze pulled through a wire mesh screen by an unseen fan tucked away in the attic, this is summer. Other times I recall a warmth emanating from a hidden … Continue reading Imagination grows in the loneliest of soils →

Wendell Berry beautifully writes in his classic work Jaber Crow; “The mercy of the world is time. Time does not stop for love, but it does not stop for death and grief, either. After death and grief that (it seems) ought to have stopped the world, the world goes on. More things happen. And some … Continue reading A mercy in the world →

My brother Ron recently shared a story that captured the spirit of my dad perfectly. My dad rarely attended church until much later in life, and when we were children, me and my older siblings would stay home with him on the occasional Sunday night. Ron remembers Dad took him one Sunday night to the … Continue reading James and John Wayne →

I’m about to embark on my second decade of serving as a university professor, not counting the numerous years I toiled away in part time teaching positions. This present iteration finds me at the University of Jamestown in North Dakota. Jamestown is a quaint little community nestled between Fargo to the east and Bismarck to … Continue reading Education of a wandering man →

Yet another Loyd patriarch has passed. My uncle Melvin, the last of the surviving brothers, died recently at the age of 95. Now only my Aunt Mildred remains, the last of Grace ‘Ma’ Loyd’s five children.  Louis L’Amour wrote in his book Education of a Wandering Man; “Living as we do in the present, we … Continue reading A Sojourner makes it home. A tribute to Melvin Loyd. →

The temptation to cultivate a highlight reel of perfection for the internet is one of the many novel afflictions of life that our ancestors didn’t have to deal with, certainly not to the extent that we do. Sure, they felt other pressures to keep up appearances, but with the advent of social media there seems … Continue reading Saddle your ass, instead of sitting on it. →

Where the land lacks curvature, it may cause its inhabitants to imagine that the earth is indeed flat. Such is the case with the landscape of the Arkansas Delta where I grew up. There are certain redundancies to the Delta where I frequently return to visit family and friends, as I did last week. These … Continue reading Falling off the edge →

“Once upon a time there was a woman, and she was wicked as wicked could be, and she died. And not one good deed was left behind her. The devils took her and threw her into the lake of fire. And her guardian angel stood thinking: what good deed of hers can I remember to … Continue reading Not an onion’s chance in Hell? →

Dear Mr. Wilson,  Hello sir! We have yet to officially meet as you have yet to arrive. Rest assured we are all eagerly anticipating your arrival. I’m one of your grandfathers, emphasis on grand! You’ll understand when we meet each other and I’m sure the admiration will be mutual. Feel free to call me Appa … Continue reading Dear Mr. Wilson →