Opinion & Columns

Some thoughts on our city as we observe the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s death.

“Every old man worth his salt should have a cardigan sweater he wears year-round. It should have soup stains on it and holes in the elbows. If a moth has chewed on it, all the better.”

It’s kind of like our Oscars—without the red carpet. Or the designer fashions. Or the statues.

“Facebook allows us to hang on the words of someone half a world away, known only to us by binary code, while ignoring the spouse across the table.”

So you’re telling us there’s a chance.

“Every rider thinks his bike is the best, but would never say so. Except perhaps the owners of Triumph Bonnevilles, but only because it’s true.”

“As always, I turned first to the back page to read Deborah Paul’s column. After seeing the title, I knew.”

“I hope I don’t wind up wandering the streets. Or writing long-winded emails to my friends.”

“I’ve tried both working and not, and prefer employment, so long as I can pick the job. Sometimes my wife picks my tasks for me, and I don’t care for that nearly as much.”

Indianapolis Monthly owes its existence to Deborah Paul.

“I’ve known enough mothers to know they’re not all good, no matter what Hallmark says. I took my mother’s virtues for granted in the early years, though as time passed, I realized she was a keeper.”

“If Walmart designed a tree, the Bradford pear is what it would look like.”

When I read about the opioid crisis, I wonder why my plight goes unreported.

In her later years, my mother hung two dog portraits on her wall, of a Scottie and a Westie. Looking at these one-dimensional creatures was as close to having pets in her home as she could get. Actually, Wire Fox Terriers were her favorites—those cheeks!—but whenever we, her children, suggested she get an actual dog, […]

“When my wife goes back inside for my writing table and the pendulum clock, I might have her grab my grandpa Hank’s fly fishing rod that hangs on my office wall. Plus, there’s my pocketknife collection. I sure would hate to lose those.”