Pam Harris, "blind" writer

Look out–I’m about to vent!

May 4, 2026 by Pam Harris, "blind" writer

You know what I want for these two precious girls? I want them to grow up to have a good work ethic, to be community-minded and law-abiding citizens, to choose careers or vocations that they enjoy, and to be able to earn money, if needed, to support themselves and their families. I want them to have knowledge and gain wisdom. I want them to be kind but to stand firm on their convictions. As a Christian, I want them to be Christians as well. I want them to be able to own up to their mistakes. I want them to be responsible. I want them to contribute to society, not take away from it.

But from what I’m hearing about education these days, I’m concerned. I’m hearing that teachers are no longer allowed to give a “zero” if a student does not turn in an assignment or make up a quiz or test. I’m hearing that a grade of 60 to 69 is a passing grade (D). I’m hearing that parents do not want their children held accountable. And I’m hearing that schools are playing the numbers game. They are forcing teachers to teach to the test. Yes, teachers are expected to teach the standards, but they do not have the freedom to teach the basics.

What do I mean by that? I mean that most students no longer know the basics. Ask any seventh grader to subtract 30 from 125, and chances are he’ll need a calculator. Even high school students can’t construct a complete sentence.

“Big deal,” you may say. “I couldn’t do that either, and I still can’t.”

Maybe some changes in education are not a big deal. I don’t think it’s a big deal that cursive is no longer taught. I don’t think it’s a big deal that students can’t do mental math since they are very proficient with calculators, but I think most teachers would agree that most students do not have the ability to reason and think.

True, there are some good things going on in high schools with dual credit programs, but you know what local college professors are telling me? The same thing middle and high school teachers are saying.

There is no accountability. Students expect to receive a grade for doing very little.

Who’s to blame? The schools? The education department? Maybe. After all, they’re so concerned with retention rates being low and graduation rates being high, they don’t care if the students actually learn anything. Blame the parents? Yes, for many. Even when I was teaching, I sometimes had a parent beg me to pass a student at the end of the year who had not passed a single grading period because of excessive absences and failure to make up quizzes and tests.

I get it. Parents have their own bad memories of school and want to protect their children from those experiences. But they are doing their child a huge disservice.

A nursing home manager recently told me that employees these days are unreliable. “They work a few days to earn enough money to pay whatever bills they have to pay, then they miss work because they don’t want to come in,” she said.

Can you imagine how that hinders the service given in a nursing home, to the sick and elderly who need care and help, but the nursing home can’t provide what is needed because of short staffing?

I know lazy people have always been around, but it does seem the numbers are growing.

“How,” you ask, “would you fix it?”

Well since you asked, I’ll tell you.

First, go back to basics in the elementary grades. No calculators allowed until sixth grade. Parents begin reading to their children from infancy. Teachers continue to read to children, not just short stories but books. Focus on math, reading, and language until sixth grade. Yes, teach science but incorporate it into the reading, language, and math components. Expand in middle school with more in-depth science and social studies lessons. Provide opportunities for physical exercise, music, and the arts. Give students a wide variety of experiences.

In high school, go back to the two-path system. Let students who have no interest in going to college learn trades. Don’t force them to take chemistry and advanced biology and four years of math to graduate (with the lowest level being Algebra 1). Let the college-bound students pursue those courses. Students can choose the dual path system in which they complete coursework for both.

But, most of all, make them accountable from an early age. As far as the state testing…in Texas on one test passing is 31% correct. Really? When I was in school (when dinosaurs roamed the earth), a 74 on a test was failing.

If the test is so hard that 31% correct means passing, maybe the test writers need to re-examine the tests. When I was in the classroom and gave a test that students did poorly on, I re-examined the test along with my teaching. I used it as a tool, re-taught the material, and gave a different test.

This is Teacher Appreciation Week, and if you’ve never done that job, you have no idea how challenging and difficult it can be. There is a reason so many are leaving the profession.

To you teachers who haven’t given up and are continuing to do your best, thank you. Our society needs more people like you, but we also need people who are making decisions about education and parents to look in the mirror. Those of you in the education department–stop playing the numbers game. Listen to what the teachers are telling you. I know not every teacher is a good teacher, and they need to be ‘”relieved of their duties.” But listen to the teachers with experience. They’re the ones in the classroom dealing with issues you cannot imagine.

And to parents–if you truly want what’s best for your children, have expectations. Help them learn. Make them accountable. Teach them to be responsible and accept the consequences of their choices.

As a former educator and grandmother, I am disheartened by what I’m seeing and hearing. I want my grandchildren to make our world a better place. To do that, they need great teachers and an education policy that focuses on student learning instead of inflated numbers that make the district look good.

Once again, to the teachers who are doing their jobs–thank you. I hope your students will recognize you this week in some way, either with an expression of thanks, a nice note, or simply putting forth more effort than they normally do. And I hope they show you respect.

You deserve that and more.

The Kentucky Derby Is Saturday!

April 28, 2026 by Pam Harris, "blind" writer

Blame it on those Trixie Belden books I read growing up. Blame it on Black Beauty. Blame it on My Friend Flicka.

Whatever the reason, I have loved horses since I was a little girl. Even as young as six years old, I begged my parents for a pony, long before I could read the books I mentioned.

In 2024, we traveled with friends to Lexington, Kentucky where we did some sight-seeing at the Kentucky Horse Park and Claiborne Farm, located just outside of Lexington. That is where the photo was taken, and what you see is me feeding a horse a peppermint–a horse worth millions of dollars.

I know many of you are into football and other team sports, and many of you enjoy watching golf and tennis (and pickle ball!). But the highlight of sports for me is The Kentucky Derby.

It wasn’t always that way. Sure, I loved movies like Seabiscuit and Secretariat (who is buried at Claiborne Farm, by the way), but other than a slight interest in the hats and dresses worn by the women attending the event, the race at Churchill Downs in Louisville was nothing significant.

Until a few years ago when my husband and I were watching the pre-race broadcast, and I was impressed by the beauty of the horses and enjoyed listening to their stories. I analyzed each as they made their way to the starting gate, and I told my husband which one I thought would win based upon my observation, nothing more. The one I selected was not favored, but…you guessed it, he won

That prompted me to do the same thing the next year. I analyzed based upon my observation only, and…yes, he won.

The next few years I picked a horse than won either first, second, or third.

No, I never placed a bet. I never plan to do that.

But it has become a personal challenge, competing with myself, which is my favorite type of competition. I am not competitive with others, but I’ve always been competitive with myself.

I don’t know if horse racing is humane or not, but I heard there are regulations and guidelines in place to protect the well-being of the horses. I hope so. I think they’re beautiful animals, and cruelty to any animal, beautiful or not, speaks volumes to me about someone’s character.

I haven’t ridden a horse in at least fifteen years, I don’t think, and I never had the opportunity to go horseback riding as often as I would have liked. So, like the wannabe athletes who enjoy watching the better athletes compete, I’ll watch and admire the amazing jockeys guide those powerful animals in a racing event like no other.

Hmmm…just thinking about the race has inspired me to see if I can find a movie like Dreamer or Secretariat to watch. I may go to Blake’s Southern Milling on Saturday for a Kentucky Hot Brown, although I’m not a huge fan of (but it’s like going to Philadelphia and eating an authentic Philly Cheesesteak sandwich, you know?).

Will I pick a winner this year? I’ll let you know!

Are you a mountain person or a beach person? Maybe you’re neither–or both.

April 21, 2026 by Pam Harris, "blind" writer

This is the view from our cabin near Pigeon Forge this past weekend. We discovered cabin lodging about 25 years ago, and except for a few stays in a condo in our annual trip to the Smokies, we have stayed in nothing else.

Once upon a time, the Smokies were my “happy” place. The views, the colors in the fall, the things to do–it was a perfect fit for me. I enjoy the beach as long as I’m active. I’m not the type to enjoy sitting on the beach all day and reading a book. My idea of fun at the beach is walking on the beach at least twice a day, swimming, spending a little time on the sand (maybe an hour or two), going to locally owned shops, doing things like a dolphin cruise, and things like that.

When I was a teen, I enjoyed horseback riding at the Smokies. I enjoyed the ski lift, Ober Gatlinburg where I ice skated, going to Cade’s Cove, and exploring the mountains.

The years, however, have brought changes, some of which are good and some of which are not.

Pigeon Forge, once a sleepy little spot on the way to Gatlinburg from Exit 407, is now a commercialized chaos that brings bumper to bumper traffic, crowded restaurants, crowded stores and entertainment venues, and…well, crowds. To be honest, although I always loved the mountains when I growing hop and in early adulthood, I’ve never liked the town of Gatlinburg. Too commercialized even back in the day, with the fudge shops and places selling souvenirs and that sort of thing. These days, it’s more crowded than ever.

I get it. Places like that rely on the tourism industry. It’s the lifeblood of the community. They need those dollars, and I actually feel like I’m doing something good for someone when I spend money there.

The resort in which we stayed, Sherwood Forest, was secluded, not too far from Pigeon Forge, and very clean and comfortable. We grilled on the gas grill one night, enjoyed YouTube TV programming availability in the evenings, and walked the resort for exercise one morning instead of fighting the traffic to go into the park and find a hiking trail. The roads were sometimes steep but nothing too bad, although walking UP the hills was a cardio workout like no other!

Luckily, many visitors left Sunday morning, so the traffic became much better, the miniature golf courses and the Titanic exhibit not crowded at all, and no problem with dining out.

If you’ve never been, I do recommend going at least once. Go to Dollywood for the kids or the water park. Play miniature golf and do all those other things kids enjoy. Adults can take in shows, explore the artisan shops like Alewife Pottery (locals, did you know they’re from Martin?), and explore Cade’s Cove and other sites where you are likely to see a bear in the wild. Enjoy the beauty of the mountains. Relax in a cozy cabin..

As for me, I’m visiting the Smokies in my mind regularly these days as I write my third book in the Mandi series entitled Secrets of the Smokies. The Mandi series is for girls ages eight to 12, and I’m rewriting and revising (meaning improving, hopefully) the first two books The Ghosts of Graceland and Music City Mayhem. Notice the alliteration in all the titles? Cheesy, I know, but it just happened that way.

As for this trip, though, we made the mistake of scheduling it without checking to see if there was any sort of special event taking place. Or maybe it wasn’t on the schedule when we planned our trip. But Friday and Saturday were packed with people attending a Street Rod (Street Hot Rod?) convention. Those cars and people were everywhere.

So, when you plan your trip, research. Maybe go during the week instead of on a weekend. Even then, be prepared for the traffic. And don’t stay in the midst of all that chaos. Don’t stay in a hotel or a condo, unless they’re far away from the madness. Go to VRBO or find cabin rental companies. Find the cabin that is right for you and your companions. You’ll find luxury cabins, some in resorts with pools and even cabins with their own indoor pool, lodges, one-bedroom and two-bedroom cabins, and more. You’ll find some very high up with amazing views and others at lower elevations and surrounded by nature’s beauty.

Not everyone likes spending time in the mountains. I don’t love it as I once did, but my husband does. We’ve learned it’s more enjoyable to go with friends or family because spending time with them is part of the experience. It all comes down to your personal preferences and your situation in life. So for all you beach-lovers, continue to do what you like to do.

As for me, as long as I’m with friends or family, I can enjoy being anywhere…well, as long as you promise not to want to just sit around all the time and not do things.

An active life is a happy life. At least, it is for me.

April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month

April 15, 2026 by Pam Harris, "blind" writer

I think most people know at least one person who has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s. If nothing else, many know of actor Michael J. Fox’s public battle as he advocates for the community.

Approximately 1.1 million Americans have the condition which can affect movement, balance, speech, and cognition. Like any other disease or disorder, each person with it has a different experience, and not all are affected the same way.

Tremors are outward signs of Parkinson’s, but other symptoms are not as visible. Jan, who was diagnosed 14 years ago, told me others noticed something wrong with her before she was aware of anything going on. “They told me I was walking defensively,” she said. “And my handwriting kept getting smaller.”

Like Michael J. Fox, Jan is an advocate eager to share information and resources to help those battling the disease. “High impact exercise along with cognition activities are the only proven treatment to slow the progression,” she said. “When I exercise is the only time my body feels normal.”

Our local wellness center offers a program for Parkinson’s patients known as the Rock Steady Boxing program. Participants engage in cognitive activities as well as physical activities at stations set up and monitored by volunteers and staff employees. Stations include brain-teasers (word searches, etc.), dexterity moves for “forgotten” body parts like fingers, physical activities like punching a speed bag or heavy punching bag (during which time the coach calls out a number of a specific punching move the participants have learned), stretching activities, and more.

I find it interesting that exercise is a key component of slowing the disease because I know of so many people who never exercise. With Parkinson’s the cognitive component is essential, so simply walking for exercise or using weight equipment will not have the same effect. It is encouraging, to me, to know this autoimmune disorder can be slowed by something that does not involve a medication.

We hear it all the time. Eat a healthy diet. Exercise. Don’t smoke. Eliminate or limit alcohol. Keep your mind engaged and active.

So, why don’t more people follow that advice? Hmm…well, that’s a topic for another day.

Today, however, let’s give a nod of acknowledgement to those we know living with this disease, and let’s spread the word about Rock Steady Boxing.

I still believe in the goodness of others

April 8, 2026 by Pam Harris, "blind" writer

Call me naive. Call me Pollyanna. Accuse me of looking at the world through rose-colored glasses. But I believe most people, deep down, are good.

No doubt there are people in this world that are evil. But I believe, at least in my community and circle, those people are rare.

I have always had a tendency to like most people. The joke in our family is that I can probably count on one hand the number of people I dislike. But liking someone has nothing to do with their innate goodness. Even the people I dislike have some good hiding in there somewhere. Just because I’m put off by their personalities or other factors doesn’t mean they don’t have elements of goodness.

Notice the shirt I’m wearing in the photo. (My four-year-old granddaughter took this photo of me last falll–isn’t she talented???) I received the t-shirt when I registered to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital by completing a three-mile walk/run. For those of you who know me, three miles is a piece of cake. No biggie on my part, but several people donated to my cause to help fight childhood cancer.

Good, generous people. The workers at St. Jude are kind, caring people. The ones who interact with the children and witness suffering on a daily basis have a strength and compassion that enable them to do their jobs.

Good people.

The teachers who truly care about their students, no matter how challenging it is, are good people.

The stranger that stops to help a stranded driver, the people who help those who can’t help themselves. Good people.

I could go on in generalities, but I’ll share a specific experience that happened to me this week. I was to speak to a class at the local university, and my ride (remember, I can’t drive anymore–haven’t driven in over seven years, and I still HATE that situation) was almost two hours earlier than my scheduled time to speak. So I went into the university center to indulge in a Chick-Fil-A breakfast of the chicken minis.

The area had been renovated since I was last there, and I was using my identification cane. I don’t need to cane to see how to walk. I use the cane to let others know I am visually impaired. The cane explains, without my having to use words, why I move more slowly in certain situations, why it takes me longer to do things, why I pause a very long time before crossing a street so I can listen for oncoming vehicles.

So when I approached the counter, I went to the wrong side to place my order. The kind woman at the other end said something, and I went to that side. When the gentleman gave my large unsweetened iced tea (yes, call me a traitor to southern culture), he handed it to me very carefully and asked in a nice tone, “Do you have it?”

When I finished eating, I picked up my trash and headed to what I assumed were the trash bins. But when I got there, there was no opening on the top. I looked on the sides. No opening. I was about to turn around and look somewhere else when I young man came up behind me and in a cheerful tone said, “They’ve still got these covered.” He reached over and slid a dark object (which I figured out was a tray) away. There was the hole to dispense the trash.

He was not a worker. He was just a college student there to eat some breakfast.

I thanked him, and he made another nice comment. What a nice young man. No doubt he has a kind heart.

Unlike some, I have hope for the future. I have hope for our world. I have learned that kindness is reciprocated by kindness. Grouchy, unkind remarks are likely to be met with grouchy, unkind remarks. But kindness in tone and a pleasant smile can make all the difference.

I’ve had people tell me they could never teach high school students like I did for most of my career. But I loved high school students–at least, most of them. My first year of teaching was a bumpy ride, but I learned the balance of discipline and kindness (I hope), and my experiences created great memories I cherish to this day.

I know not everyone shares my attitude. I know of many people who focus on criticizing others and looking for their faults or flaws.

But I choose to look for the best. It’s a challenge with those four or five people I’ve known and disliked, but I try to give them some grace. It doesn’t mean I have to spend time with them. It just means I need to try to see things from their point of view.

Unless they’re evil. But those few are not.

We played a game Sunday afternoon with my son and part of his family, and the purpose of the game was to write things that fit a category. Jake drew a card that said, “Things that are evil.” My immediate response? Social media.

It’s not evil if used in the right way. But it’s evil if used in the wrong way. All the political stuff, all the unkind and hateful remarks, all the insults that people feel free to hurl hiding behind their phones. What’s the point? I know each person has freedom of speech but how sad is it that freedom of speech gives us justification for being unkind.

I guess this is enough of my opinion today. But I think part of the solution to the problems we have in this life is being good and kind to others. It’s hard to be mean to someone who is kind to you.

Attention, Milennials and GenZ’s aka Zoomers

March 30, 2026 by Pam Harris, "blind" writer

Today, a clerk in a store called me “sweetie.” Twice

I get it. To her, who might have been as old as 19 or 20, I am old. After all, my childhood photos are now fuzzy black and white images with no color photos of me until I’m nine years old. So, yes, I am that old. I’m old enough to have had only a black and white TV (controlled by an antenna) until I was 15 when Dad finally broke down and bought a Magnavox color TV. I’m old enough to remember life with party-line telephones that sat on tables or were attached to walls, life before microwaves, and life before…well, a lot of things that are normal today.

But when she called me “sweetie,” I immediately felt like a white-haired lady with tight curls using a walker, which is not me at all.

I’m sure she was trying to be kind, but I don’t think she realized it is an insult. I know some people my age who don’t like to be addressed as “ma’am,” but after years of being a teacher and principal, I have no problem with that. It is a sign of respect, and when I started teaching at the age of 30, I needed that respect from high school students. Without respect, a teacher can’t manage a class.

But when medical staff and others address me as “honey” or “sweetie,” it’s not respectful. It’s patronizing. It’s what we do with small children to soften our words. They’re terms of endearment we use with those we love. But they’re not appropriate terms for anyone else.

At least they’re not to me. My mom, who lived to be almost 94 loved it when medical staff and others used those terms. I have a feeling, though, she didn’t feel that way at my age. After all, she was still working part-time at Walmart, maintaining a home, sewing, cooking, and keeping busy with family and friends.

If you are someone who uses those terms, please re-think your choice. In our culture, people 65 and older are lumped together as “senior citizens,” but there is usually a huge difference between a 65-year-old and an 85-year-old.

What this young woman didn’t know was my friend and I had just left the Wellness Center where I had done 45- minutes of weight training, walking, and stretching. She also didn’t know I had already walked my dog a mile before going and that I was coming home to walk him another mile and a half.

She didn’t know I did a half-marathon (that was 13.1 miles jogging/running) at the age of 62 and did it again at 64 (all walking). She didn’t know I’m planning to do it again this December (walking) at the age of…well, never mind.

I know a lot of millennials and GenZ’s who could not, would not, and have no desire to do any of what I’ve done today, let alone the half-marathon accomplishments, so my advice to all is: please respect us but don’t patronize us. And now that I think about it, all of us older adults need to be careful about patronizing younger generations. Believe me, they are more capable than we are in areas of technology and other areas. They’re smarter in ways that didn’t even exist when we were younger.

Respect for each other. Maybe we all need to work on that.

Loneliness–it affects your health

March 25, 2026 by Pam Harris, "blind" writer

Once again, the photo doesn’t seem to match the title of my blog, but bear with me. I’ll explain.

A fitness/health expert with multiple degrees and certifications recently spoke to one of the civic groups of which I am a member, and this statement shocked me. “Loneliness,” she said, “is as harmful to your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.” She explained the research that backed this up, but I am still amazed.

I know some people prefer being alone, and likely they are perfectly happy spending most of their hours alone. But loneliness can affect anybody at any age in any circumstance.

The wife or husband whose spouse is not the companion they hoped for, whose distant demeanor or even abusive treatment creates a sense of isolation. The elderly shut-in who has no family to come visit and no friends who seem to care or whose friends have already passed away or in the same shut-in situation they are. The young single whose friends have all married and are living their lives with jobs and raising children.

When I was working and raising my family, there were times I dreamed of just a day to myself. There were times I suffered from what I called “people pollution” and wanted nothing more than time away from the crowds. I’m sure many have felt the same.

Loneliness, though, is as much a state of mind as it is a circumstance. We’ve heard the saying that someone can be lonely in a crowd, and that’s true. And being alone doesn’t always equal loneliness.

Those of you who read my blogs regularly know I’m always advocating for people to reach out to shut-ins. If that person is content with the situation, there is no need to push him or her to get out or make phone calls. Just give them a book to read or a remote they can operate, and they may be perfectly fine. Others, however, may need visits, outings, and phone calls to alleviate the loneliness they experience each day. That’s why I advocate and remind all of us to keep those people in mind and actually DO something to help them.

But let’s say you’re lonely. Maybe you’re divorced, widowed, never married, or in a bad marriage that you remain in for personal reasons. What do you do?

First, seek groups you can join. Sign up for fitness classes, art classes, and volunteer organizations. If you’re a person of faith but have neglected attending corporate worship services, find a church and attend long enough to get to know some of the people. Participate in some of the activities available instead of being simply a pew warmer. ” Obviously, I am referring to Christian faiths, but the same idea applies to any religion.

Be the instigator of social events. Invite people into your home, but if that doesn’t work for you, invite people to join you for lunch or outings. Invite someone to participate in one of your hobbies–playing golf, pickleball, tennis, etc.

In my town, our Friends of the Library group is active and involved, and I’ve gotten to know people outside of my normal circles. I’m active in our local retired teachers association. I’m in three other civic groups (invited to join) that, at first, were foreign to me, but as time went on, I began to feel like a part of the group as I strengthened acquaintances into friends and met new people.

Side note: (you know I always have a side note) For the visually impaired, meeting new people is especially challenging because we can’t see what you look like. It takes time for us to learn your voice and body type (tall, short, etc.). That means we may know you in a specific situation–as in a group meeting–but we have no idea who you are in a restaurant or some other public place. So, we do one of two things. We pretend we know who you are until you say something that clicks with us, or we do as I usually do and ask, “Who am I looking at?” If you see us out and about, it’s very helpful to say, “Hi, Pam, it’s Jean, Jones, how are you today?” I’ll eventually recognize you. Oh, another side note: If my husband is with me and sees someone he realizes I know, he says in a low voice, “Jean Jones is coming our way,” and I’ll say, “Hi, Jean!” as she gets near us.

Okay, back to my topic. I think one reason I found this statistic to be so impactful is because I talk with, by phone, several older women with vision loss who are living in loneliness. They’re sad, depressed, and discouraged, yet they’re trying so hard to be upbeat. One lives near Nashville. Another lives in Maryville. Another lives in Virginia. They are always thrilled to get a phone call. One of them told me when I called that she hadn’t talked to anyone in several days. She has mobility issues and is completely blind in one eye with glaucoma affecting her vision badly in the other. A nearby family takes her to church services each Sunday morning, but I know she would love it if her granddaughter would bring the great-grandchild over every now and then or if some of those church members would visit or include her in activities.

If you know someone like that, please consider reaching out. If you are one of the lonely and have the means to get out and about, do it! If you have the health and ability to drive, your choices are wide open. You just have to look for the opportunities.

The cure for loneliness is to get out of your comfort zone. You can’t expect to keep living the same way and for things to change. You have to find the courage to change them.

We have about 40 in our Silver Sneakers classes at the Wellness Center, ranging in ages from younger than I am into their eighties. The reason most attend? Yes, it’s for the exercise. But primarily it’s for the social interaction. “You can do hard things” a sign on the wall reminds us.

Yes, we can for as long as we can. But we have to have the mindset to do it.

Art for kids–to me, it’s important

March 17, 2026 by Pam Harris, "blind" writer

When I was growing up, sketching and coloring were my favorite pastimes, other than reading. Sure, I played outdoors and did things like ride my bike, skate, jump rope, and other activities requiring physical exertion, but art was my favorite. I sketched people and animals, and colored them. I drew my own paper dolls, cut them out (tabs and all), and designed clothes that I drew, colored, and cut out. I made my own dollhouses using cardboard boxes, fabric scraps, and “windows” cut out from the Sears catalog showcasing curtains. If I read an illustrated book, I drew the pictures I saw in the book. Anything associated with being artsy or crafty was my go-to.

Every year I asked Santa for an art set, but for some reason he never brought me one. I wanted an easel, painting supplies, art paper, colored pastels, the works. I guess Santa didn’t want my mom to have the mess to clean up.

My love for sketching never waned. I expanded my love for art into macramé, cross-stitching, and sewing. I made clothes, Raggedy Ann dolls, purses, and more. Creating was and still is a priority.

So, when my granddaughters’ maternal grandmother and I took them to an art studio in their town with multiple activities for kids, I was enthralled. Yes, you had to pay for it. No, there wasn’t an art teacher, just free play time with a very energetic manager/owner who gave suggestions, provided materials, and moved constantly among the adults and children in the not very large space.

First, the girls picked out their own aprons to wear. Then they painted pictures seated in front of an art easel. I have the photos of them standing beside their finished work, but my subscription to this site won’t allow me to post more than one picture.

On one table, the girls could use the three primary colors–red, yellow, and blue if you’ve forgotten elementary school art–to mix colors in small wells in a tray. They learned that mixing blue and yellow produces green, mixing yellow and red produces orange, and mixing red and blue produces purple by using a large dropper to pull up the colored water before depositing into one of the wells. On one table sat plastic dinosaurs, and we used Play-Doh to make dinosaur footprints, “bury” the dinosaurs, and used tools to cut out shapes. Another activity was coloring a fish and gluing colorful bits of paper on it. Back to the easels we went, but this time the girls used the chalkboards on the backside to draw or write.

Watching them entertained for almost two hours with the various activities made me wish we had something like that in our town. A place for rainy days, a place for birthday parties, a place for…fun!

Yes, we can do those things at home. But there’s something special about doing things like that in a designated place with other children. Plus, no clean-up! No paint spills, no Play-Doh stuck to something, no bits of paper to sweep off the floor.

Sports reign supreme in my community, but not every child–as a matter of fact, not most children–have an inclination to sports. Some are drawn to music, dance, reading, writing, or art. As parents and grandparents, we can recognize their natural interests and abilities, but sometimes we drop the proverbial ball when we don’t encourage them to explore all options. If we push them into one activity and exclude the rest, the six-year-old boy who already demonstrates athletic ability may never discover he has a creative side. The six-year-old girl who is forced to take dance lessons may never discover she has a talent for golf or for making jewelry.

Visiting this art studio made the wheels in my mind start spinning. A music center for kids to try different instruments and take private lessons. An art studio similar to the one we visited. Maybe combine the two. Music on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Art on Wednesdays and Fridays. Saturday mornings and afternoons for parties.

Hours?10:00 to 1:00 and 3:00 to 5:00. Cost? I don’t know. That would depend on the overhead and cost of the space. I’m just sharing my idea. A financial expert would have to weigh in on the practical details.

But the next time you’re in Collierville and looking for something for the kids to do, go online and look for Color Me Collierville. It might be just the activity the children will love.

“Searching for Hope in the Silence”–a mother’s journey through loss

March 6, 2026March 6, 2026 by Pam Harris, "blind" writer

Eleven. That’s the number of family and friends of mine who have lost a child. People in my own extended family. My friends. Not acquaintances, not co-workers. My friends. They, along with the fathers of their children, belong to a fraternity no parent wants to join.

That number doesn’t include those who have known the heartache of miscarriage.

That number does not include my friends who have lost a grandchild.

It does include the author of the book Searching for Hope in the Silence, Jenna Stoker Wright. In 1977, she and her husband lost their first child and only daughter to cancer. This book chronicles their short journey of learning about their daughter’s illness, their experiences at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, and her emotional roller coaster of hope then grief and anger. She is honest about their experiences and honest about her emotions. I would think anyone who has lost a child can relate.

Part two of the book shares her relationship with her mother. A self-proclaimed “Daddy’s girl” (to which I can relate as I was very much a Daddy’s girl), her honesty shines once more in her account of the relationship she and her mother shared and the experiences of her mother’s life that impacted her. Like me, she loved her mother, but also like me, it was her father’s approval she craved and whose influence guided her. But also like me, she can look back now with fresh eyes and understand the positive examples and influence of her mom who gave up a beloved career in nursing to live in a small town and raise their only child.

The third part of the book describes the joy brought to them by their son, born about two years after their daughter. Having another child was not an easy decision since they feared the same fate would befall future children, but doctors reassured them it was highly unlikely. The result was a healthy baby boy who grew to be an intelligent, successful man. A line from this section of the book I am paraphrasing was that eventually the moments of happiness and joy outnumbered the moments of sorrow. The ache of loss, however, never went away and remains with her today.

One of my friends, whose granddaughter was killed in a tragic accident at a young age, once told me that you never get over grief. You just learn to live with it.

This book did make me cry, but it also made me smile. A person of a strong Christian faith, Jenna doesn’t sugarcoat her feelings during the most difficult days. She does, however, share how her faith is what sustained her then and what continues to sustain her now.

Would I recommend this book to someone else who has lost a child? Well, that depends on the person. If you are the kind of person who finds some amount of solace in talking with or reading about others who have experienced something similar to your own journey, I most definitely do. If you are the kind of person who chooses to block all memories of your ordeal, I don’t.

But I do recommend it to everyone else. Too many times we are upset about things that, in the long run, really don’t matter. Reading a book like this can help us be more grounded and put life into a better perspective. Reading a book like this gives a connection to the author and others like her so we are able to sympathize and help in more productive ways.

When her daughter was diagnosed with leukemia, the survival rate was only 10%. Today, the survival rate of childhood leukemia with five-year survival rates of over 90% and for infants with acute leukemia, more than 60%.

When Danny Thomas established St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, his mission was to eradicate childhood cancer. Thanks to their research and the research of other organizations, that mission is ongoing and showing promise of success. Someone once asked me if the Catholic Church operates St. Jude’s. The answer is “no.” Danny Thomas was a Catholic, and St. Jude is the patron saint of desperate situations and lost causes, symbolizing hope and perseverance in challenging times.

This book does the same.

It is available on Amazon as a paperback and an ebook. If you read it, I hope you appreciate it as much as I do.

My review of the Elvis movie “Epic”

February 28, 2026 by Pam Harris, "blind" writer

Meet Derek Culver, a Hernando, Mississippi resident who works as a barber in Germantown, Tennessee, and in his spare time does “gigs” as an Elvis Tribute Artist. He sings songs by other entertainers as well–so funny when he sings Willie nelson–but you can tell he is an Elvis fan, even though he was born several years after Elvis passed away.

He had seen the new release Epic, and told me he thought it was great, so great, in fact, he was taking his mother to see it the next day.

So, when my husband learned the movie was going to be at our local theater starting this past Thursday, we knew we had to see it. After all, I am a self-proclaimed Elvis expert who loved him as a singer and entertainer but never wanted to have him as a boyfriend–good grief, he was born 21 years before I was. I just wanted him to be my big brother or at least be in his circle. I think what my childish mind really wanted was to be in his movies as one of those kids he sang to.

Let’s forget about my reasons for liking Elvis while growing up because there is no clear answer, and let’s talk about my impression of the movie that we saw last night.

Baz Luhrmann directed the movie Elvis starring Austin Butler, and while researching, he learned that MGM has archival footage of Elvis in concert in Las Vegas (That’s the Way It Is) and touring the U.S. (Elvis on Tour). He created a movie using a combination of seen-before and never-seen-before footage that was remastered and put together in the typical Luhrmann style.

The result? A movie that is not a documentary, not a biopic, not a concert–well, maybe elements of all three.

Using recorded interviews with Elvis that spanned his first to final years in show business, the viewer hears Elvis telling his own story and sharing his thoughts about his life and career. Scenes and interviews of rehearsals, on-stage performances, home movies, and TV appearances are woven into a story that reveals the lesser-known Elvis, the Elvis who never turned down a fan asking for an autograph, the Elvis determined to give the ticket-buying audience the best show possible, the Elvis who was not too busy or too famous to pay attention to children.

I saw footage I had never seen before, such as Elvis seated on stage in Vegas and playing a guitar while singing various hits, and a couple of songs were new to me. The 100-minute film flew by, and yes, I will have to buy it someday for my personal collection.

I think people who dislike Elvis would not enjoy the movie, just like I wouldn’t be interested in a documentary or biopic about many entertainers, but for Elvis fans and fanatics, it’s a must-see. People who like Elvis okay would enjoy it. They might even come out of the theater as true fans.

Derek told me the movie made him sad because he wished he could have seen him in concert.

Well, I did. May 7, 1975, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. And guess what? “My” concert is on YouTube in its entirety. They recorded the May 6 and May 7 performances to make an album, but the entire May 7 concert, audio only, can be listened to on YouTube. Just search for Elvis Concert May 7, 1975, in Murfreesboro, and you’ll know you have the correct concert when, after the opening song, he tells an audience member she has her child too close to the speakers. I remember when that happened. He had security relocate her and her little one.

And when you hear those screaming fans in the audience…no, I didn’t scream. I left that up to all the ladies with the teased, hair-sprayed hair that wouldn’t move in a hurricane.

I just sat there and enjoyed. I hope you do, too.