Bob Burdick

2014 Resolutions

I woke at noon on New Year's Day, disgusted at the sight of my clothes strewn from the living room to the bedroom. That was the good news. The bad news was an eye-watering odor filled the house, and my right ear throbbed with each beat of my heart.

The Greatest Gift

I was twelve that Christmas eve of '48. In previous years my little brother and I had tried to stay awake all night so we could catch Santa. We always failed. This year proved to be the same. Minutes after consuming his bedtime milk and cookies, my brother was asleep. Worry, however, kept me awake. Would the gift I had prayed for be under our Christmas tree in the morning?

Angel of the Lord

If one tradition defined a community, Christmas Eve caroling defined Cherry Log, the mountain village where I was born and raised. And other than those years while serving in uniform for the country I loved, I had never missed one of the festive occasions. Even now as an older man with a family of my own, this special night still triggered excitement. The lone exception was the heartbreaking Christmas Eve of '98.

Cowgirls Need Love Too

Mom plunged into depression when Dad died. I had tested my wings and left the nest years earlier, and now, for the first time in her life, Mom was alone. I lived nearby and checked on her often, but it didn't take a trained eye to see she wasn't faring well. She shunned friends and neighbors, lost weight because she wasn't eating properly, and the "toddy" she once enjoyed before bedtime was now poured in mid afternoon. One day I caught her drinking at noon. I couldn't allow this to continue.

Competency: No Oval Office Should Be Without It

“Integrity is not a conditional word. It doesn't blow in the wind or change with the weather. It is your inner image of yourself, and if you look in there and see a man who won't cheat, then you know he never will.” --John D. MacDonald---The Turquoise Lament

The Road to Hell

In the years I’ve been dabbling with words my feelings have ranged from mountaintop highs---like when receiving a pleasing comment from a reader---to abject lows---like when catching a scathing critique from a pompous dude with a sprinkling of the alphabet following his name.

The Flatland Peddler

Living here in the North Georgia Mountains is peaceful, but like most things in life the seclusion we enjoy comes with a few tradeoffs. One example is grocery shopping. Oh, we have grocery stores, but reaching one involves more than a quick trip down the block. In fact, we don't have blocks, just miles of twisting roads, which makes the closest grocery store a fifteen-minute drive—one-way. For this reason, and the price of fuel, we keep a well-stocked pantry.

Ambidextrous

I was still a little squirt when I learned Dad was ambidextrous. His sister, Nina, my favorite aunt, was visiting with Mom in the kitchen, and I was supposed to be in my bedroom changing out of my romp-around clothes and into my go-to-town pants and shirt.

J.W. Died Today

Sunset Memorial was quiet that Saturday afternoon. I stood in the long shadow of a sprawling magnolia, alone, surrounded by a silence that seemed to stretch forever. Despite the heat I shuddered, realizing as I did that the temporary silence of my world was no match for the perpetual silence surrounding those who were interred here.

Long Shot

Nineteen-forty-four was a year of war. On battlegrounds around the world our armed forces fought our nation's enemies; on the playground of Camphor Elementary School, my brother and I fought the Porter brothers. The Porters, Stinky and Lard-O, were a year older than us. They were also bigger and faster and better at all the stuff that counted most in fights, in particular their awesome ability to fling a rotten orange laced with gravel farther and with greater accuracy than we could.

Daughters are Special

I'd often heard this axiom, “Daughters are special;” however, it wasn't until I’d held my own daughter in those first minutes of her life that I fully understood the meaning in the words. But there was more at play at that moment than the simple understanding of words---there was an identity crisis tearing at my inner being.

The Clinic Caper

I’m often asked, "Where do you get story ideas?" Quite simply (and as I believe most writers would answer), it’s a rare day when I DO NOT encounter something that triggers a story idea. Here’s an example.

Beyond the Call

July 4, Heartland, America. Eunice Locklin visited her son with day-after-day repetition, a practice now into its fourth decade. And while she cherished each visit, today's visit was precious. You see, this day was not only symbolic for the nation, it was symbolic for Eunice as well: Elliot W. Locklin, the only child of Roger and Eunice Locklin, was born on the Fourth of July.

Rex

Divorce is nasty. This ordeal is bad enough, but when participants also fight over splitting the sheets, the dissension worsens. Such conflict was the case when Chuck and Dee Dee rescinded their vow of "… until death do we part."

Let the Games Begin

I was two sips into my morning coffee when the phone rang. Despite the early hour I laid my pen down, pushed my manuscript aside, and answered with a cheerful "Hello." After all, it was already past noon in England. Maybe the queen was calling.

Creation versus Evolution

How did life begin? This question is as old as life itself; however, answers usually fall to one of two camps: believers of God’s Creation who anchor their faith in the concise description found in the Bible and evolutionists who support their position with bones, fossils, and intricate theories. Both sides, of course, believe the other side is wrong.

Separation of Church and State

Those who embrace “separation of church and state” cite the First Amendment of the Constitution as backing their stance. This has been screamed loud, long, and repeatedly, but is there a shred of truth to this claim? Let’s take a peek.