Martin Wiles

My great-grandmother rarely ventured beyond the confines of her bedroom, but she was happy. For as long as I can remember, my great-grandmother, Mammy, lived with my paternal grandparents. Her bedroom was just off the living room of the … Read more

The humungous concrete trough begged us to place our parched toes in its tantalizing coolness. Life on the farm was different every day. My cousin and I could find more adventures to take than we had time for. On this one day, we sat … Read more

The reason for our existence sometimes takes time to discover. As a child, staying with my paternal grandparents was second nature. When I was pre-school age, my grandmother was my babysitter. I rode with her in her 1930s green Chevy and … Read more

Handling final affairs can be sobering but helpful. Before my father died, he arranged most of his final affairs. Although he never went to the funeral home and selected a casket, he did have his order of service mapped out, as well as a … Read more

Financial crunches sometimes reveal the unseen. Ours was a financial crunch such as we hadn't seen lately. The payment on our low-mileage used car was draining our bank account. We had a decision to make. As much as we hated to part with … Read more

"But we're only twelve years old." I've heard this statement — or variations of it — numerous times. One of my tasks as a middle-school English teacher entails instilling responsibility in the students. At their age, most of them buck … Read more

He gave until he took his final breath. My paternal grandfather was a giver. I have fond memories of his giving to others but also of how much he gave to me — and not always in monetary form. As a single guy, I had difficulty handling … Read more

Dad was a snacker, and he did it consistently. One of my earliest childhood memories is how my dad would pause during the day for snacks. As a small elementary-age child, I can remember his opening the back door of the apartment where we … Read more

I met him on an informational walk on the Foothills Trail. He had thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail, all 2190+ miles of it from Maine to Georgia, USA, within a twelve-month … Read more

They were called filling stations, and for a good reason. When I was young, filling stations were places where people went to fill their vehicles with fuel. But they were quite different than they are today. They were full-service … Read more