By John Clise
Hello. Welcome to the newest incarnation of Clise’s Cornucopia. I’ve been writing this column in one publication or another for 25 years. We find ourselves here with this column, and anything else I write. I like to share old columns that seem relevant or interesting.
In my columns, I write about just about everything in my life. I have always have. Long-time readers know my story. I’m an open book.
For those who don’t yet know me. You will soon. My column is a snapshot of my life as it unfolds, strolls down memory lane, gets sidetracked here and there, and that sort of thing.
I’ve written columns about getting a new air conditioner, my cats, birds, fish, my day. Just the average stuff of life.
The only thing I don’t write much about in my column is politics, unless it’s something historical. I save the politics for editorials. I’m sure we will see some editorials here from time to time.
Also, I like to write vignettes about characters I dream up in my head. A character here or a character there. It’s always just in hope you’ll find something you enjoy.
I guess about me… I’ve been at this journalism thing for 32 years in one medium or another. Mostly newspapers and radio. Weren’t those the days. The past few years I’ve been working a lot online. It’s kind of work at your own pace kind of thing for me.
I love my wife, Rebecca, more than anyone in this world. She is the light of my life. I am a better person because of her. I’m still alive because of her. Due to the COVID 19 we have been able to spend the past three months together as she has worked from home. While this pandemic is terrible thing for so many, it has been nice to have this time with her. To be together as we haven’t ever been before in our marriage.
We have many cats. My favorites are Charlie Hustle, Felix, and Smokey because we’ve been together the longest. We were together before Rebecca and I were married. Felix and Smokey are brother and sister. Charlie Hustle is their cousin by my estimation. We will talk about them all at some point I’m sure. I’m sure I’ll share some pictures of my little love bugs along the way.
I’ve lived a good many different places. Right now I happily live in Weston, West Virginia. I was the mayor of Flatwoods about 25 years ago. Something like that. I’ve also lived all over the state of Indiana. I’ve had short stops in a lot of place, too. Like I said… I’m sure we’ll get to all of that eventually.
Rebecca took the picture of me here about two years ago in the fall I think. I look a little different now. Might want to stay tuned for the transformation over the past couple of years. Also, I can’t quite remember where it was taken, so you may want to tune back in to find out. I’ll have to ask Rebecca.
The truth is I really do share just about everything in my life in my column. It’s like a glimpse into of what goes through the mind of a 54 year-old man like me. It can be a roller coaster.
In addition to columns, editorials, and some creative writing, I will probably write some news stories here and there. I will also write stories about travel and entertainment though we are kind of light on travel at the moment.
I was a travel writer for several years. I was planning a big summer tour of travels until the pandemic hit. I was ready to hit the big road to go north, south, east, and west.
I did have to let my travel publication go due to no travel earlier this year. That was a hard decision, but it has opened up new avenues for me. That has been interesting. We will see where things go from here.
I do hope you come back often, and enjoy what you read. You can friend me on Facebook if you like. Or follow me I guess. Whichever you’d like. My personal page is a little more chaotic probably. I tend to post whatever I see… I’m like a kitten that way. I see something shiney and I chase after it for a while, and then take a nap.
If you do end up on my personal page… I really wouldn’t take anything you see there very seriously. I do tend to post whatever is making happy or enraging me at the moment. It’s more my therapy outlet I think. But we can have some fun there too.
We’ll be working out the wrinkles here with this in the next few weeks. Figuring out what’s what, and getting things titled properly for what they are in regards to columns, editorials, stories, and all of that stuff.
See you again soon.
Clise's Cornucopia 