Article Archives: Words with Woods

Sofa Cat

April 14, 2022 | by CJ Woods III

A cat poked its head from beneath the sofa, looked at me and retreated. I was sitting in my big leather “old man” chair, watching TV. Perhaps my quietness gave the cat the courage to venture out. Since neither I nor my roommate daughter have a cat, I was surprised. … Read More

Slapping

April 7, 2022 | by CJ Woods III

When I was in high school, the girl I was dating slapped me. My memory of the events that led up to the slap is vague, but I believe that we were arguing about something. Our relationship was unravelling, and we were uncomfortable with each other. She was at my … Read More

A Good Day Lived

March 31, 2022 | by CJ Woods III

This column first appeared in the November 20, 2013 issue. An old friend invited me to a football game; Purdue University, Dave Ostendorf’s alma mater, was playing Indiana State on Saturday, August 7th. Dave had purchased a number of tickets and offered three to me. Karyn, his bride, said that … Read More

Echoes

March 24, 2022 | by CJ Woods III

While walking through our neighborhood with my youngest granddaughter, I heard a rapping sound. We stopped, and I told Myah to listen: “That’s a woodpecker!” We stood still on the street until I saw the bird, which was working to find some insects beneath the shingles of a house. I … Read More

Bad Things, Man

March 17, 2022 | by CJ Woods III

Dennis Hopper narrated a Nike shoe commercial sometime in the 90s that had a memorable tagline: “Bad things, man.” Hopper was (ahem) “fondling” the shoe of the Buffalo Bills’ fearsome defensive end, Bruce Smith. The commercial touted Smith’s skills, noting that he did “bad things” wearing those Nike shoes. Hopper’s … Read More