Clinton, South Carolina, February 29, 2020, 11:54 a.m.

Life is fatal for everyone. I have reached the age where I am one germ away from disaster. I suppose this is somewhat true for everyone, but more of a worry as people age.

As such, I am wary but unafraid. The so-called coronavirus is not a clear and present danger, but it is a danger. It is entirely possible that many people have contracted it now but don’t know it. Unlike many countries, the only people who are being tested here are those who are already sick.

Be careful. Don’t panic, but take some precautions. Wash your hands often. Carry a handkerchief and try not to sneeze or cough without using it.

I voted this morning, and it was the first time I have ever voted pragmatically in a primary. I’ve always voted my heart before, and I’ve seldom picked the person who won, and I’ve never felt badly about it. I don’t think it’s indicative of any general change. It’s indicative of the moment.

Soon, though I’m not sure exactly how soon, I will be launching my own website. The process is not moving along as rapidly as I would like. I have been diligently doing what I can do, but I am relying on an outside company to design the platform according to my specifications, and until that process is complete, it is difficult for me to go any further.

In other words, I’ve got a post-office box, business cards, a bank account, checks ordered, and correspondence sent. I am leaving my job at GoLaurens/GoClinton on March 15, and I hope to launch the new site sometime in April and have additional plans to follow.

I want to hire some help, and as soon as I leave GL/GC, I will dedicate my time to establishing an advertising baseline and generating copy for the new site. In short, I need a site to sell a site. My plan is to build support gradually through the spring and summer and have it and other sites prospering by football season.

By preference and training, I am a sportswriter. I will not miss writing about everything else. This site fills that need.

The new site will be dedicated to local sports. The only exception is that I plan to write columns that are set both inside and outside the Laurens County lines. Those columns will be titled, aptly, “Inside the Line” and “Outside the Lines.”

To borrow the words said by Charley Pride in a live album recorded more than 50 years ago, “I’m like a bucking horse waiting to get out of the stall.”

My careful planning is suddenly in jeopardy. I hope the suddenly sagging economy recovers or at least stabilizes. I’m hoping the country’s health concerns stabilize, too. As is the case with most everyone and everything else, I hope for the best.

South Carolina has two mottoes on its seal. The former is “Animis Opibusque Parati,” which is Latin for “prepared in mind and resources.” The latter is “Dum Spiro, Spero,” which means “while I breathe, I hope.”

 

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Lightning in a Bottle, the first of my two motorsports novels, is now available in audio (Audible, Amazon, iTunes) with the extraordinary narration of Jay Harper.

My eighth novel, a political crime thriller, is called Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. It’s right up to date with the current political landscape in the country.

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