Ponderings by Dan Ponder

We first met almost 43 years ago.  Just out of high school, there were forty plus boys/men that came together as freshmen at Auburn and became pledges of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. We went through a lot together and eventually promised that we would always be a lasting band of brothers. Like almost any…

“That will be twenty-two dollars”, the young man said.  “How much did you say?” I replied.  “Twenty-two dollars”, he replied without hesitation.  I opened my wallet and gave him the correct bills for the two snow cones.  I don’t ever want to hear about a hamburger being expensive again, I thought to myself. I have…

As we settle down into the first really cold snap of the Winter, we are more mindful than ever of the changing seasons.  The lingering mild temperatures of Fall have slipped away, most trees are bare, and the green blanket of Southwest Georgia has turned largely brown. However, talking with friends at the coffee shop…

In the blink of an eye, it is time to once again reflect on the past year and the resolutions I made and to give some thought as to what I want to accomplish in 2015.  As fast as these years are flying by, I probably should double up on some stuff or I am…

The past few days I have been listening to people around me, not just family and friends, but the strangers that intersect our lives at odd times and places.  If you just listen to the words of strangers you can learn a lot about who they are and what troubles them. After one such conversation,…

It is only a week until Christmas.  If you aren’t in the Christmas spirit by now you are running out of time.  The colder weather we have had lately helps.  Christmas songs are being played in every store and elevator.  The Salvation Army has its troops out in full force patiently ringing their bells as…

After 36 years of marriage, there are some routines that you fall into during holidays.  We have a brunch on Christmas morning with my brother’s family with the menu always the same.  People sit in the same seats at the dinner table.  You can even guess which presents might have come from certain people just…

Being Mayor occasionally can be fun.  People see you in parades where you wave and throw candy. The children scurry around to get just a bit more of that sugar that parents love them to have.  By the end of the parade, your grin is labored and your throwing arm is sore, but what a…

Usually when Mary Lou and I enter the doors of the First United Methodist Church in Bainbridge, members know that my grandson, Henry, must have some part in the service.  I am more normally found at the organ bench at First Presbyterian in Donalsonville (though maybe not so much the last few months). Sunday, Henry’s…

I have always loved the seasons for the change that they bring.  My northern friends think that the Deep South doesn’t really have a change in seasons.  As I write this article it is a very chilly 32° F.  I am inclined to disagree with my friends because this is very much a change from…