Don Newbury

The Idle American
THE IDLE AMERICAN: Struck down by what?
A weathered rancher of my acquaintance stubbornly refused to join a group of church friends who “enjoy” bad health. A woman of few words, she explained her absence from services the previous Sunday. “I
THE IDLE AMERICAN: On choosing the right roads
Undisputed star that he was during the golden era of major league baseball, this player has maintained a spirit of humility that others only dream of. His name is Bobby Richardson, embodied in a 5-9, 170
THE IDLE AMERICAN: A man who found his way
He didn’t see it as a turning point at the time–this budding vocal artist who was belting out country songs at the Burger Box in Arlington. Craig Murphy, then age 40, might have been flipping
THE IDLE AMERICAN: Shall we pray?
Inherent with insistence to dig ever deeper–rarely satisfied with merely getting to the bottom of things–are the risks of learning more than we want to know. There are ever so many places to dig, with
THE IDLE AMERICAN: When things go wrong
Come on, now. Things could be worse. You could be working in public relations at Southwest Airlines.For decades the envy of other U.S. airlines, SWA might understandably change its corporate colors to black and blue,
THE IDLE AMERICAN: Hither and Yawn
This is a “catch all” column of items intended for publication during 2022, but somehow didn’t make the cut. They are offered now, with few breaths remaining in the old year. So, here goes: The
THE IDLE AMERICAN: Christmas on the Rails
Less is heard about trains these days, particularly since the homegoing of Johnny Cash. He always loved train songs. Accounts of a single railroad car are even rarer, despite the jump start provided in 1930
THE IDLE AMERICAN: It’s beginning to sound a lot like Christmas
The intent of this piece is to provide comfort to folks who are hearing more than they want to hear. There is much noise in the world, some of it pushing Christmas carols–and other worthwhile
THE IDLE AMERICAN: A ‘Word in Wood’ Testimony
Not until his later years did Rev. Jerry Neill have the time needed to hone his woodcarving skills, but when he did, he was relentless, turning out small art objects that soon cluttered his workshop. For
THE IDLE AMERICAN: Another six-up story?
My ancient Uncle Mort–with razor-sharp memory of the long ago but dullard-like on yesterday–has a mind recently clouded with “what if’s” concerning the World Cup. This is surprising, since he doesn’t know a soccer ball from
THE IDLE AMERICAN: Life lessons in 247 pages
Spinning tops flung long ago finally stopped, they were like the season’s final flailing of turkeys soon to be main courses on Thanksgiving tables. For some journalists, however, minds continue to spin–conjuring, probing, marveling and expressing–thoughts
THE IDLE AMERICAN: Plane talk about batteries
Jerks and others of assorted intellects were jolted by a recent piece of news that is bound to reach front pages sooner than later. It’s one thing to consider the Energizer Bunny, hear commercials challenging us