Music Explainers– the nicest people on the internet
Music Explainers– The nicest people on the internet 1330 words • 9 minutes One day when I was in military pilot training an instructor tried to put me at ease by saying: “In flight school the ground academics are the easy part—the flying is where it gets difficult.”...
Loud Voices and the Barks of a Dog
Loud Voices and the Barks of a Dog 1,200 words • 5 minutes When I was living in Japan, every day I would religiously read Tokyo’s English language newspapers. These were high-quality publications and ones in which the editors would, surprisingly, open the letters...
Why Do People Insist on Going With Three Names?
Why Do People Insist on Going With Three Names? 350 words • 3 minutes Frankly I do not know. I mean no offense here as some long names are almost musical sounding, but I find the use of three names to be rather pretentious. Again, not always, but for most people a...
A Southern Profanity
A Southern Profanity 928 words • 7.1 minutes When I was growing up, I never heard my parents use profanity—never once. It just wasn’t used in our household and I can hardly imagine the trouble that would have been in store for me had I uttered foul oaths in front of...
Johann Sebastian Bach says, “Let me try that!”
Johann Sebastian Bach says, “Let me try that!” 1,320 words • 7 minutes I recently heard a quote about J.S. Bach that made me think harder about something than I have in quite some time. Bach, it was said, was better at what he did, composing and performing music, than...
About Your Average Author
Bios are normally the place to list great achievements and accolades, but since Neal’s are a bit thin the recap of his life is refreshingly brief.
Quite early Neal caught the attention of his teachers as being on the fast track to the cherished 50th percentile in life. It might have been his noteworthy lack of skill, not to mention talents, in areas such as academics, athletics, the arts and drama, or social life. Together they destined him to observer status only. Tragic? No, for it was there that he found his comfortable place in the just average bleachers.