Ponderings by Dan Ponder

We boarded the plane with great anticipation.  The day had finally arrived to travel with our daughter, Catherine, son-in-law, Daaron, and our grandson, Henry, to London and Paris.  We had not reached our seats when our longtime friend, Pam Hines Brannon, came up to us.  Pam has been flying for Delta for as long as…

I remember my 13th birthday.  It was a big deal for a boy growing up in the rural south.  I was at last a teenager, whatever that meant.  It was that time when I bonded and struggled with my parents, my friends and sometimes with myself.  I remember one of the gifts my parents gave…

The only thing that compares to having all four of our grandchildren together at one time is having them visit individually.  This past year Mary Lou and I have been blessed to have that one-on-one time with each of our grands – Henry, Laura, Will and Andrew. This past weekend I traveled to Dothan to…

For 68 years, I have enjoyed the clear spring waters of Compass Lake.  In my early years, my brother and I would compete to see who had the darkest tan.  It was not hard because when we were not on the lake, we could often be found in the watermelon fields.  Shirts off.   There…

It was a long time coming.  Over 70 years, in fact.  Charles III, the longest reigning Prince of Wales ever, ended his long wait and was finally crowned King Charles III, the 62nd monarch of England and Britain.  This legacy goes back over twelve hundred years. Officially, his title is “Charles the Third, by the…

Some days are better than others.  Then, some days are so special that they defy description. Some days you will remember forever.  Some days are just the answer to prayer.  Perhaps that is the best description of all. Mary Lou and I are blessed to have two children.  We are equally blessed to have six…

I remember my 16th birthday.  My mother went with me to Dothan to get my driver’s license.  I had to parallel park, though there were very few parallel parking spots in Dothan and none in my hometown of Cottonwood.  I passed the driver’s test without any problem, which was not a surprise since I had…

Four years after retiring to Auburn, Mary Lou and I were excited to have all our children visit us for Easter.  All ten of us have gotten together several times over this time, usually during football season or at Christmas or Thanksgiving.   We also gather during the Summer at Compass Lake, which is a…

The children walked down the aisle with the palm branches waving.  The Chancel Choir led them in the processional, but all eyes were on the children.  They were smiling and squiggling and squirming around, but when it came their turn to sing, their voices were perfect.  The children joined the mighty organ, the brass and…

When I graduated from Dothan High School in 1972, I had never seen a girl play a sport.  The girls were cheerleaders.  The boys played sports.  There was not much discussion about it and no one seemed to be making much of a fuss.   Girls did take physical education and wore white shorts and…