Opinion

It’s not Jan. 1. It’s not the first day of the month. It’snot the first day of the week. It’s not the first day of aseason.Nevertheless, I am beginning something new– at least new for me after an absence of severalyears.I’m going to watch my weight. And by that, Imean I’m planning to watch it go down insteadof going up.

A child will get sick; that is given. It’s part of thechild’s rite of passage. The child will play and play hard,oblivious to the illness that is overtaking the strengthand vitality of the young human. Eventually the child’sillness will progress to a point that it must be given medicineand if no medicine is dispensed, the childwill become sicker, weaker, unable …

We all know that there is a crisis in the CatholicChurch right now. Allegations of sexually abusive clergyare pouring in worldwide. Unfortunately, the roots ofthis terrible tragedy engulfing the Catholic Church havestrong ties to the Bayou Sate. Here’s how NationalPublic Radio in Minnesota titled their investigativestory on sexual abuse by priests: “ItAll Began in Lafayette, Louisiana.” And it did,back in …

For over ten years America has been fed a steady dietof green movement rhetoric. From a personal standpointI fully agree that we need to look at conserving ournatural resources and we need to do what is needed tokeep the world clean and alive for generations to come. Ialso believe that we do not need to make changein a knee jerk …

Ahhh … spring.It has sprung.Spring. The poets’ muse for centuries. It has inspiredsuch masterpieces as Emily Dickinson’s “A Light Existsin Spring,” William Wadsworth’s “Daffodils”and A.E. Houseman’s “Loveliest of Trees.”Spring. Nature lovers revel in its aspects, andwordsmiths turn their observations into lyricalworks of art.Today, I want to lay the foundation of a poem– to provide the building blocks, so to speak …

When I first heard the term “nuclear family” I thought of some derogatory term that expressed a new modern family which was filled with social media, computer games and not social involvement within the family. What a shock and pleasant surprise when the true definition was discovered.The term has been used to a large extent over the past several years …

t’s been a number of years since the death penalty was carried out in Louisiana. A vicious rapist and killer, a fellow named Jesse Hoffman, was put to death at Angola State prison just two weeks ago. I can look back 21 years ago, as I witnessed the highs and lows of life and death here in the Bayou State.It …

’ve talked with you before about my propensity for watching “Wagon Train” while ensconced on the couch. And my proclivity for playing certain online games.As I recall, I haven’t exactly censured myself for doing these things, but perhaps I should have. It’s hard to say because in today’s world that seems obsessed with productivity, the concept of “doing nothing” has …

Thomas FieldsThomas “Tuffy” Fields is an author and regular contributor to The Gazette. He can be reached by email at thelouisianaexplorer@yahoo.com. The Muslim Holy Month of Ramadan began last week.This is known as one of the five pillars of Islam and all Muslims are obliged to participate.I recall my first Ramadan in Saudi Arabia and it showed the sacrifices that …

Sallie HollisSallie Rose Hollis is a native of Rocky Branch and retired Journalism Professer from Louisiana Tech University. Contact her at sallierose@mail.com. Maybe you’ve run across some of the same online word lists that I have – like “54 Everyday Things You Never Knew Had Names.” Or “34 of the Craziest Words in English.” Or “100 Totally Weird Words (Like …