I firmly believe this life thing we share is far less about gathering as much stuff around our physical bodies as we can in 70 or 80 years and a lot more about actually living and sharing what limited time we have.
Back in 1993 at Ohio State University, I told a journalism class of wide-eyed undergraduates that I believed I could read many of their minds. I knew they wanted to get their degree, land a good-paying job, buy the flashy new car they'd always wanted, and settle into that sprawling McMansion on the hill.
"But let me share a bit of reality if I might," I said. "You might get that well-paying job only to find it miserable for any number of unexpected reasons. You might get that new car you hope everyone will envy and even wash it twice a week--for a while. The fact is more people will resent you for the spiffy car they don't have. And after about three months, you'll be munching on Taco Bell in it and letting crumbs and hot sauce drop onto the seats.
"As for that big house high on the hill, you may acquire that one day. But you won't want to go home to it each evening if the wrong person for you is waiting to make life miserable."
While acquiring money can add a sense of security, it also brings worries and concerns. One look around wealth-soaked Hollywood finds lots of expensive stuff and even more unhappy, unfulfilled people continually searching for any genuine connection with another.
On the other hand, a wide circle of friends, family or close acquaintances can bring enormous meaning and satisfaction, as can meaningful work that makes positive differences in the lives of others.
Smiths at top
If your last name is Smith, you have plenty of company across the United States. It's the most popular surname among the populations of 40 states, including Arkansas, according to the Ancestry website.
That knowledge causes as much excitement among my valued readers as stating they serve corn dogs at county fairs.
But there were some fascinating facts to share when I dug deeper into the website's feature about surnames across America.
For instance, I didn't know the most popular last names in 14 states (many across the South) were Smith, Williams and Johnson. That includes Arkansas along with Alaska, Missouri, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, New Jersey and Michigan.
I always knew those three were considered common last names, just not the same three in so many states. I guess I expected to see a Scott, Turner, Matthews or Rogers in the mix somewhere.
Williams reportedly is derived from Welsh/Germanic origins. Smith and Johnson have Scottish/English roots. Folks named Johnson appeared in the top three surnames in all but seven states.
Massachusetts, with a heavy population of Irish Americans, was the only state to include Sullivan among its top three.
So, wrapping things up today, the most common last names in the nation today (say the folks at Ancestry) are: Smith, Johnson, Williams, Miller, Jones and Anderson. Not a Masterson anywhere in sight.
Pastis on journalists
Pearls Before Swine cartoonist Stephan Pastis has always been among my go-to Sunday comics (I also get laughs from Sherman's Lagoon). But I digress.
Pastis, whose favorite characters are a rat, a goat and a pig, hit a nail of truth squarely on the head the other day when it comes to the state of mainstream journalism in the country today. Titled "Rat's Recipes for Disaster," the rodent writes that the first step in preparation is to eliminate half of those who were experienced "journalists" back in 2001. The waving publisher is bidding them farewell by saying, "Bye, you fools trained in gathering news."
The next panel shows a young man typing on his computer with the message above him reading: "Replace them with billions of people whose only qualification is having a computer" as the new hiree is typing the message, "Heard a rumor today that squirrels can kill."
That was followed by a frame showing a female with a cell phone saying, "Squirrel terrorist cells? I will retweet that." Above her, Pastis writes: "Add in social media to make sure stories by unqualified people can be spread faster."
That's followed by two men in Cossack hats and the comment, "Stir in a few Russians," who are also retweeting, "Amerikans ... Squirrels killski youski!!!"
Then comes the frame saying, "Have an election that is premised on an informed electorate." along with a candidate screaming "Squirrels hate your freedoms!!" and voters beside him shouting "We will elect you for life!!"
Then we see a cook stirring a large pot and saying "Bye bye" with directions, "Cook 'til democracy evaporates."
The final frame has Goat telling Rat, "Maybe we should pay for journalism again," and Rat responding, "Don't bother. We're cooked," as the pig cowers in an enclosure that reads, "Squirrel-proof capsule."
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Mike Masterson is a longtime Arkansas journalist. Email him at mmasterson@arkansasonline.com.
Editorial on 11/24/2018