Clinton, South Carolina, Tuesday, July 10, 2018, 10:27 a.m. The world is in a haze, and it has nothing to do with the West being in flames. The West is always in flames. It’s the figurative and literal reason for the haze. I have become inured to wildfires. I’m inured to Russian interference, cops shooting …
Author: wastedpilgrim
I'm a writer.
Blogs. Novels. Journalism. Songs.
It's all I know how to do well.
The Word Around Here
Clinton, South Carolina, Tuesday, July 3, 2018, 8:56 a.m. When I was growing up, many local businesses closed on Wednesdays. That gradually diminished over time – for a long time, some still closed on Wednesdays at noon – but most locally owned businesses are closed for at least a day each week. Some restaurants that …
When the Roll Is Called in Homeroom, I’ll Be There
Clinton, South Carolina, Saturday, June 30, 2018, 4:02 p.m. I’ve been working my ass off. No, that’s not right. I’ve been wearing my ass out. Mainly I’ve been sitting down. I’m in the process of learning how to manage the county website. It’s not the official county website. It’s a news site, or two that …
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Another Day, Another Fifty Cents
Clinton, South Carolina, Thursday, June 28, 2018, 10:14 a.m. It’s going to be another week that was. By definition. To quote one of my songs, “No matter where you go, there you are.” This one, though, has been particularly enlightening. I’m making a transition into a job running the county’s news site, GoLaurens.com, which also …
A Man Must Carry On
Clinton, South Carolina, Wednesday, June 20, 2018, 9:49 a.m. How the mighty have fallen. Okay. I was never that mighty. And I haven’t fallen. The last time I fell was on the sideline of the Clinton High School spring football game in 2017. On Tuesday, I merely wilted. On the practice fields, a half mile …
Serenity in Name Only
Clinton, South Carolina, Thursday, June 14, 2008, 10:59 a.m. Shelby Alexander barely lets the reader take a breath in this opening salvo of Craig A. Hart’s series of thrillers. Serenity is not to be confused with the noun. It’s the name of the town in northern Michigan that, based on the hero’s experience, is hardly …
The Day Was Entirely ‘Justifiable’
Clinton, South Carolina, Sunday, June 10, 2018, 10:12 a.m. The plan was to write a racing column, but complications arose. Automobile racing, that is. Several months ago, attempting to shave a few dollars from my extravagant satellite bill, I changed packages, one consequence being that I no longer have access to Fox Sports2. Or FoxSports2. …
Ain’t No Need to Sit and Wonder Why
Clinton, South Carolina, Wednesday, June 6, 2018, 8:07 p.m. I haven’t had a day like this since my daddy died. They happened all the time when I was a kid, and he was in his natural prime. Daddy would ask me to help him with a couple things, say it wouldn’t take 30 minutes, and …
As the Thunder Rolled and the Lightning Struck
Clinton, South Carolina, Saturday, June 2, 2018, 11:02 a.m. I thought I had plenty of time to get to Clinton High School’s graduation ceremonies. I got my hair cut, and I didn’t make myself an appointment online, and the lady said it would probably be at least a 40-minute wait. Haircuts are spur-of-the-moment decisions for …
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It’s the World Gone Crazy …
Clinton, South Carolina, Thursday, May 17, 2018, 3:02 p.m. I don’t care whether I hear Laurel or Yanny. I don’t know where I go to hear it, or, for that matter, them. Whoever or whichever they are. As I get older, I get less inquisitive about such matters. I am not without curiosity. I just …
Nightrider's Lament 