Clinton, South Carolina, Thursday, June 4, 2020, 8:54 a.m.

This morning I’ve been thinking about significant things I learned from obscure sources.

For instance, my highly detailed views on various shades of color derive from very large boxes of Crayolas.

“Well, it’s like navy blue, but I think it’s really closer to midnight.”

Also, I have a lifelong interest in the Sargasso Sea, based on the inaugural episode of Jonny Quest, long before I knew that one day Race Bannon would become vice president.

So what is this? This is dwelling on little things because of the need for distraction from little things.

Never mind that the streets of the country are full of demonstrators, fire, tear-gas canisters and rubber bullets. Never mind the injustices that created this unruly scene.

Never mind that nearly 2 million Americans are infected with a highly communicable virus that has killed well over 100,000.

Until two days ago, I had been walking around (not very much) for six weeks with several splinters buried in my heel. I am now getting better.

Why was I so negligent? Well, my mother was dying at the time.

Now she’s gone and so are the splinters, but I will probably forget about the splinters.

Life is a nightmare. Surely it will get better. How could it get worse?

Oh, wait. I’ve thought that several times already.

Night has stopped being a time to relax. Watching the news is withering. I try to find alternative programming. The night before last, I watched a movie called Black Legion, where factory worker Humphrey Bogart joined a secret society to get rid of immigrants and others who just happened to be, oh, decent.

This somehow qualified as uplifting. Bogey and his fellow conspirators did get theirs in the end. I’m not sure about real life.

Take a look at my new website, Laurens County Sports. It’s undoubtedly going to be better when Laurens County has actual sports again.

If you enjoy my insights about racing and other subjects, make a small pledge of support. Rewards are in place for pledges of $5 or more. If 1/10 of my followers and Facebook friends pledge $1 a month, I’ll be set. Read all about it here.

If you yearn for my writing in larger doses, I’ve written quite a few books. Most are available here.

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.

My writing on other topics that strike my fancy is posted here.