Author Archives: davidstong
loss
This past week my family lost its patriarch. He was a figure known, admired, and loved throughout the community. My daughter loved him. My granddaughter played on his lap. Though we’d been introduced and mumbled friendly greetings twice, I didn’t know the man. Regardless of differences, we managed to raise children that fell in love. …
Communication
My granddaughter is just about 15 months old and, although she isn’t talking, she’s finding pretty effective ways to communicate. Her mother and I just need to learn her language. Several days ago she surprised us by shaking her head “no” when we asked if she wanted a drink. She hung her head slightly and …
How it’s going
In another few weeks, my grand daughter will be a year old. A few weeks after that I’ll have been her caregiver for a year. It’s been and continues to be great. As an update to anyone curious about how I spend my time, I’ll say that I’ve stopped any pretense of free-lance. I also …
Earth Day
A student committee asked if I’d host discussions in the art room. I was in the room practically all day anyway; it was my senior year and I spent all of my free periods working on art projects. I could wing any discussion, I figured, since discussion was easy. Trash, air pollution, industrial run-off, Pottstown …
monkey care
Each time I’ve looked at my old sock monkey I’ve thought it fitting that he has apparently aged right along with me. Now discolored and full of sags, bulges, and wrinkles, my quaintly misshapen friend was once firm, smooth, and bright. As I age, so does he. On one of my last visits after my …
Gluten Free Expo in State College
Hosted by Central PA newspapers… of which the Centre Daily Times is certainly not one. According to CDT editor Chip Minemyer of the McClatchy Company, the CDT’s sister publications are the Miami Herald, Charlotte Observer, and Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Worth noting, I’d say.
the need for an enemy
From E.L.Doctorow’s Book of Daniel this incredible quote: Many historians have noted an interesting phenomenon in American life in the years immediately after a war. In the councils of government fierce partisanship replaces the necessary political coalitions of wartime. In the greater arena of social relations–business, labor, the community–violence arises, fear and recrimination dominate public …
RetouchPro challenge
Recently I had an email invitation from a website called RetouchPro. I joined the group four or five years ago and unfortunately forgot about them. How the email made it through, I’ll never know- but I’m glad it did. The invitation was to work on a retouching challenge. RetouchPro posted a very unusual image from …
loss
An old friend passed in the Spring. At the memorial service his sister told me the last couple of years had been hard. Tim hadn’t really been himself: Heart trouble, lung problems, hearing difficulty. Still, I wish I could have seen him. Tim was several years younger than me. We were room mates for a …