Article Archives: Words with Woods

The Collector

February 27, 2014 | by CJ Woods III

When I was young, there was a man who regularly visited my mother’s house. I remember hearing his labored ascent of the steps to our door. He was a large man, who overtaxed the sofa my mother was buying on credit. I don’t know how long my mother had an … Read More

Hugs

February 20, 2014 | by CJ Woods III

I did something for someone and she showed her appreciation by giving me a hug. We stood together in this friendly embrace for some moments, hugging, rocking slightly, until she said, “No one likes to give up on a hug.” I grew up in a hugless home, where being held … Read More

Politically Decent

February 13, 2014 | by CJ Woods III

At a gathering in his home, a man I know made an inquiry about a woman I know; after a brief hesitation, he murmured that his comment might not be “politically correct,” then referred to the woman by using a pejorative term. I chuckled in what I hoped was a … Read More

Nuclear

February 6, 2014 | by CJ Woods III

I read a recent article that reported that an Indiana state senator had introduced a bill to encourage utilities to develop sources of nuclear energy, and I thought, “Yee-ha: here come the locusts.” I flashed back to the early 80s, and my own “year of living nuclear.” I was a … Read More

Company Man

January 30, 2014 | by CJ Woods III

One year in St. Louis Missouri, I worked seven days a week in the advertising department of a company, for seven months straight. Those months and days included two national holidays, and my two young children went to work with me Saturdays, Sundays, and those two holidays. My business card … Read More