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Que sera, sera; what will be, will be

One of the nation’s most popular recordings nearly 70 years ago was Doris Day’s “Que Sera, Sera.” The title is from the Spanish “Lo que será, será” meaning “what will be, will be.” In the lyrics a young girl asks her mother about her future and whether she will be pretty or rich. “Que sera, sera...” her mother replies, “…the future’s not ours to see… whatever will be, will be.” I thought of these lyrics after a conversation with a group of friends. We agreed that it is best that when we are young we don’t know our future. Life, of course, is a mixture ...

Sleep is easier these days

A few days ago my wife woke me up. It was nearly 7:30 a.m. I have been retired for eight years and there was nothing specific that had to be done that day, but I felt a bit slothful. Sleeping in like that has never been part of my adult life… until recently. Oh, I remember being a kid and sleeping until 8:30 or 9:00 on a summer morning. With a houseful of children I imagine our mother enjoyed those rare moments of peace on a quiet summer morning when we kids slept late. Back in those days I liked to stay up late and sometimes fought sleep. You could say I was resisting a ...

Massive tax cuts won’t solve Iowa’s population challenges

I stumbled across a statistical tidbit the other day that probably will surprise many people. U.S. Census Bureau figures show that between 1900 and 2000, the state that grew the least in population, on a percentage basis, was Iowa. Read that again. No state had smaller population growth between 1900 and 2000, as a percentage, than Iowa. Not North Dakota. Not Montana. Not Wyoming. Not any other state. The census statistics show Iowa’s population increased 31% during that span of time. While that may seem like perfectly healthy, long-term growth, the next-closest state in the ...

Perspective — it makes a big difference

The (very old) story is told of a $20 bill and a $1 bill in the vault of a large bank. “Hey, Twenty,” said the $1 bill, “I haven’t seen you in a long time. Where have you been?” “Man, I’ve been having a ball,” replied the $20 bill. “I’ve been to the finest restaurants, to the biggest and best casinos, boutiques, shopping malls and even to an NBA game. How about you?” The $1 bill replied, “Oh, I’ve been to the Baptist Church, the Presbyterian Church, the Catholic Church, the Lutheran Church, the Church of Christ, the Episcopalian Church, the…” “Wait a ...

Panfish on plastics

Plastic tails that we put on the back of our jigs have proven themselves to be fish-catchers. However, until the past few years, there has been the belief that plastics are most productive in warm water fishing situations. In cold water, slow presentations are usually more productive, and ...

An anniversary with lessons

January is an anniversary of sorts for me. It’s an anniversary that has resulted in learning some life lessons. I married in 1969 and within eight months my bride and I had purchased a home and settled into the community. My wife loved her hometown and I did, too. We had no plans to move anytime soon. A short time after our third wedding anniversary my wife resigned from her job to become a fulltime mother and a few weeks later gave birth to our first child. We acknowledged that things would be tight financially on one income but we were prepared… or so we thought. Less than ...