Article Archives: Words with Woods

Spelling Bee

June 23, 2016 | by CJ Woods III

My son-in-love called me, chortling and snorting; “You didn’t tell me about ‘beacon!’ You didn’t tell me about ‘beacon!’” My daughter was cackling in the background: “Tell him, Dad!” My 7-year-old granddaughter had brought home her spelling words, one of which was her favorite food: bacon. This simple test cracked … Read More

Silver Alert

June 16, 2016 | by CJ Woods III

I recently visited with my eldest daughter, Lisa, and her two gifts to me, my grandson and granddaughter, and we had adventures of joy and discovery in New Jersey and Delaware, but not before Lisa “old-shamed” me in Target. Lisa will often call me and announce, “Old People Check-in! Where … Read More

Black Men Can’t Hoop

June 9, 2016 | by CJ Woods III

“So, Dad: when will my black genes kick in concerning basketball?” My son, (whose mother is not black) was about 20 years old when he asked that question. He is a musician, a drummer who liked to  drum on all surfaces; the question filtered its way through the sound of … Read More

Protect and Serve

June 2, 2016 | by CJ Woods III

Early in 2010 a man and his daughter were on the side of the road near Xenia, Ohio, changing a flat tire. They were returning to Indiana from a visit to Maryland when the yawing of the car signaled distress to a tire, which was flapping as the car edged … Read More

Zoom, Zoom, Girl

May 26, 2016 | by CJ Woods III

I saw a picture of a great–looking car on (wait for it…) a social media site. A young girl was standing in front of the car, beaming and holding a plaque that memorialized the car’s first-place win. The car belongs to a man I know from my pool-playing league. Since … Read More