Mincey’s Musings
Year Two, Week Twenty-Five

I had the privilege of seeing several of my elementary school classmates during the past month. One of them, my friend Kevin White, reminded me of a circumstance that happened in third grade.

I had the privilege of seeing several of my elementary school classmates last week. One of them, my friend Kevin White, reminded me of a circumstance that happened in third grade.
That was the year we received new reading books. We began the year with a book titled Looking Ahead. This book was the first of two third grade reading books from the same series as the famous (at least to my generation) Tip and Mitten. I loved that series—even the books had a special smell, and the pictures were inspiring in ways that I cannot explain. The first story in that book was “Eddie and the Desk”.

One of the professors in my doctoral program at Lincoln Memorial University once gave us an assignment entitled “This I Believe About Educational Leadership”. I am thinking there is a website or blog called “This I Believe” to which people can publish their beliefs on certain topics. The importance of the assignment was to teach that what we believe guides our life decisions and impacts not only our own but others’ lives for better or worse.

Mincey’s Musings
Year Two, Week Twenty-Two

I received an email a few days ago that referenced some of the phrases that my generation adopted as standard language that everyone in that time could understand. One of the phrases identified was “carbon copy”. The explanation of the origin of the phrase was: “Before photocopiers were a thing, copies were made by sliding a piece of carbon paper between an original document and blank paper. It’s also what ‘cc’ means in your email.”

Mincey’s Musings
Year One, Week Twenty-One

With fondness and joy I watch certain episodes of one of my favorite childhood situation comedies (aka “sit coms”) Sanford and Son. Fred Sanford knew better than most—there are dummies, if not under your own roof, out there somewhere!

Mincey’s Musings
Year Two, Week Twenty

A few days ago, I was eating with some colleagues from work at my favorite restaurant in the world, the 33 Diner. One of these friends was enjoying hearing me repeat some of my stories. (It amazes me that there are those who enjoy hearing my twice, thrice, or over told tales!)

I was wrapped up in myself enough that I must have gotten louder than maybe I should have, for as I was leaving an elderly lady asked me, “Are you a lawyer or preacher?” I told her neither, that I was a teacher.

Mincey’s Musings
Year Two, Week Nineteen

In one of my favorite episodes of Bonanza, Hoss Cartwright is in jail, having been arrested for stealing a horse of a murdered man suspected to have had lots of money. The townspeople keep asking Hoss what he did with the money. With increasing frustration, he tells them he knows nothing about any money. In one scene, the preacher asks Hoss if he can help him in any way.

Mincey’s Musings
Year Two, Week Eighteen

One has to be careful when typing or texting, especially when texting. Sometimes the auto-correct on Facebook can get a person in trouble, like the preacher who once texted me that he was sitting on his deck; unfortunately, auto-correct changed the vowel in the word “deck”. The message that came to me, though totally unintended, was hilarious, and provided my soon-to-be-deceased stepson one of his last moments of hilarity. I never told the preacher of his mishap.

Mincey’s Musings
Year Two, Week Seventeen

A group of Baptists met at Cheddar’s on Clinton Highway yesterday for lunch after the morning church service. Two different people in the group ordered onion rings as appetizers, and they were exceptionally delicious.

Mincey’s Musings
Year Two, Week Sixteen

In an article published in the Knoxville News Sentinel on April 26, 2019, writer Brittany Crocker reported the Loudon County Courthouse fire, noting in the title to her article that “Fire Once Leveled Another Historic East Tennessee Courthouse, Taking Everything With It”.

Mincey’s Musings
Year Two, Week Fifteen

When I got to work this morning after the Easter weekend holiday, I was clearing my email when I came across this interesting subject line: Do you have all your eggs in one basket? It is a question perhaps best not contemplated first thing on Monday morning of a work week.

Those who know me well probably won’t believe this, but the first money I remember earning was for singing.

When I was about four or five years old my family rented a house on Academy Street in downtown Maynardville. The yard did not have much grass in either the front or the back.

Mincey’s Musings
Year Two, Week Thirteen

To many he was a burden from the moment of conception. He was so unwanted by his birth mother that she tried to abort him six months into her pregnancy. Her efforts failed, but resulted in his premature birth with handicapping conditions that he was to endure for his entire life. There were many who pitied him and felt him nothing more than a prisoner in a deformed body.

Mincey’s Musings
Year Two, Week Twelve

When I was in first grade, Ms. Hazel Butcher gave me the teacher’s edition to some of the old reading books. One of my greatest regrets in life is that I let two brats bully me into giving them those books. It turns out they are one of the things that can’t be found on Amazon.

If memory serves me correctly, the then sitting Union County Board of Education ousted sitting Director of Schools David F. Coppock in spring, 2001. Three months later, a new director, Dr. James Pratt from Albertville, Alabama had been hired. It was Dr. Pratt’s philosophy to let principals hire their own teachers and to make very few changes his first year in office. He did make at least one change during his second and final year—he moved me from principal at Sharps Chapel to principal at Luttrell.

Mincey’s Musings
Year Two, Week Ten

My nephew Jeff was graduating from Marine basic training at Paris Island, South Carolina in the early 1990s. His parents, sister, his two grandmothers and I decided to make the trip to see the ceremony.

Mincey’s Musings
Year Two, Week Nine

I was part of a conversation last week that revolved on horrible motel experiences. It seems that anyone who has traveled much at all has a horror story or two to tell about overnight travel accommodations.

I had a nephew who was graduating from Marine basic training at Paris Island, South Carolina. There is much I could tell you about that trip, and I believe I will share that experience with you next week. But for now, the only part I’ll share is about the hotel.

Mincey’s Musings
Year Two, Week Eight

I was on my way to the Central Office this past Saturday to work on the districtwide plan. I drove down Main Street to see if there was flooding due to the record amount of rain that was being received. As I passed the First Baptist Church of Maynardville, I noticed organist and attorney K. David Myer’s truck in the parking lot.

I did something this past weekend that I have never done before. My good friend and former teacher Martha Warwick sent me a notice on “Messenger” that the Lincoln Museum at Lincoln Memorial University was sponsoring free admission on weekends in the month of February. Most fascinating to me, however, was the fact that patrons would be allowed to enter the vault.

Mincey’s Musings
Year Two, Week Six

I write this article for you on the eve of Lincoln’s Birthday, 2019. It will be published for your reading pleasure closer to the eve of Washington’s Birthday.