A Life of Words

On a night that features taking in a pro basketball game — something I haven’t done in decades — you’d think the game itself would be the highlight. But you’d be mistaken. I had that opportunity Monday, when I sat in nosebleed seats to join 20,000-plus other fans in cheering the Dallas Mavericks to a … More Three old friends teamed up for the first time in a few years — oh, and there was a basketball game too

I had the pleasure Wednesday morning of a phone chat with the unforgettable Bill “Bullet” Ramsey, my old Fort Worth Star-Telegram friend and sports copy desk colleague who somehow managed to retire at 55 and avoid newspapers’ inescapable plight. Can’t believe he’s been retired for 28 years, since he hung up his pica pole, page … More Chatting with Bill ‘Bullet’ Ramsey and wishing him a happy 83rd. Never worked with anyone else like him. Never will.

Have I mentioned how much I love college sports? Probably not. Kay and I don’t get many chances to attend college football games — her TCU Horned Frogs or my Texas A&M Aggies — and college basketball games are an even more rare outing for us. But Monday night, we joined over 5,300 other Frogs … More A night of college basketball — in person, not in front of the TV — brings fast-paced action, makes memories

In the waning days of 2021, I received a Slack message from one of my longtime colleagues, Rudy Bush, who happens to be the interim editor of our editorial board at The Dallas Morning News, asking if I had a few minutes to chat. He said he hoped he had an offer I couldn’t refuse. … More Relishing a chance to take part in a vital newspaper process: Election candidate recommendations

A couple of months ago, I was honored to spend about 25 minutes visiting by phone with Bill Rowe in Findlay, Ohio, a birth family cousin who’s lived a heroic and fulfilling life of 94 years. We talked about his military service as a 17-year-old in the latter days of World War II as well … More Godspeed to a hero of three wars, my cousin Lt. William Paul Rowe

Sunday marked 13 years since Robert “Robin” Mason Workman, one of my three older full siblings who spent the first 44 years of my life not knowing me, left this world for another at age 61. A death that, like my best friend Doug’s in 2002 at 45, left me asking God why. Why would … More Saluting my big brother Robin, a Vietnam vet and a hell of a ballplayer who joined our parents in heaven 13 years ago

For almost a year, I’ve had the chance to do some writing on the side — and I’m not talking about here on my blog. I mean crafting stories about people, giving me the opportunity to interview them, learn about them, and gather details about what they’ve been dealing with from a health standpoint. My … More Making the most of an opportunity to write — about people and their health successes

This sentimental image from 1944 shows my biological father Bob Workman holding my brother Crystal “Crys” Edward Workman on the front porch of the family’s rented home at 315 32nd St. in far east Huntington, West Virginia, just across the Guyandotte River from the tiny community with the river’s name. It’s a split-second of poignant … More A split-second of poignant perfection dating back to 1944: My birth father and my brother

Here’s a post I wrote for Facebook six years ago today, updated and tweaked for sharing here. In addition to reading this, I hope you’ll take a couple of minutes to listen to the three attached recordings of my birth mother Betty’s beautiful singing voice. As it always happens, when I listened today, they gave … More 11 years ago, the parents I never knew came back to life on three worn reel-to-reel audiotapes

Growing up, I never looked like anyone in my family. During the summers when I’d tag along with Dad for his work as a lingerie salesman for Hollywood Vassarette, as he’d call on the women buyers at Houston-area department stores like Foley’s, Sakowitz and Palais Royal, they’d all say how handsome I was and how … More Happy birthday to my fabulous big Sis — so thrilled I finally found someone who looks like me!