Author: Jeff Hampton

False Spring

Looking out the window one morning I saw brilliant blue, yellow and white pansies, fresh purple clusters of new hyacinths, bright green shoots of daffodils and tulips. The sight was made all the more beautiful as the bright colors were accentuated against the backdrop of a thick sheet of clean white sleet.

The spring bloomers were drawn up out of the dark black soil and into the light by a wave of warm weather. The bright sunshine and shirtsleeve temperatures – and all the promise and potential they herald – were too much to resist. But it was a false spring, and the tender shoots and petals would need to stand still and strong against the cold. They would have to wait for winter to finish its run before they could claim their springtime glory.

We, too, must wait.

Focus on the Fundamentals

A few years ago while visiting the Baylor University journalism department where I earned my degree, I learned that while their new name – Journalism, Public Relations and New Media – is a nod to all the new forms of communication that exist, the focus is still on the fundamentals of strong reporting and writing. For that reason, The Baylor Lariat – the daily newspaper that I worked on 30 years ago – is still the centerpiece of the program. That’s remarkable given that the paper’s primary readership has grown up with texts and tweets. Continue reading “Lenten Reflections”

Praying with St. Francis

Backing down the driveway, I glanced to the right across the corner of the yard and saw a squirrel sitting squarely on top of the head of St. Francis.

The 18-inch concrete statue of St. Francis of Assisi has been standing beside the pecan tree for years. I’ve seen him visited by squirrels, birds, even a football-sized turtle that crawled up from the creek. But a squirrel perched on his noggin? That’s a first. From a distance, all that brown fur wrapped around his scalp made him look less like a 13th century holy man and more like Davy Crockett. It was a ridiculous sight, and I put my foot on the brake long enough to take a fuzzy photo with my phone. Continue reading “Lenten Reflections”