About ivanbenson
I am a former singer, guitar player, writer, story teller, voice over talent, and a current heart attack survivor in the Atlanta, Georgia area.
It seems like the first things you learn when you start school become the bedrock upon which all future learning rests. Maybe Robert Fulghum was right when he wrote, “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.” Paper, … Continue reading →
Posted in Family History, Stories, Uncategorized
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Tagged 1st grade, 2nd grade, chattanooga, computer history, consequences, Eraser, errors, guilt, ink pens, mistakes, pencils, permanent record, Robert Fulghum
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Finally watched the final show in the sixth and final season of This Is Us last night; I rank this series up there with the series, LOST, in terms of cinematography, acting, and story line. Excellent stuff! One of the … Continue reading →
Posted in Family History, Stories, Uncategorized
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Tagged addiction, alcoholism, body image, cancer, death, dementia, discouragement, disillusionment, divorce, Family, Forgiveness, grandparents, LOST, love, Pittsburgh, racism, sex, sibling rivalry, This Is Us
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The last few days I’ve been pondering an odd question: “What’s the best water you’ve ever tasted?” Funny, isn’t it, where the mind goes sometimes? I was remembering a hike in Southern Arizona, one I repeated several times with various … Continue reading →
Posted in Family History, Stories, Uncategorized
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Tagged Bellows Spring, best water, Charlie's Steak House, Coronado National Forest, Corvette, hiking, Hopkinsville, Kentucky, Montana, Mt. Baboquivari, Mt. Baldy, Mt. Haggin, Mt. Wrightson, Santa Rita Mountains, Southern Arizona, Tucson
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My father loved vocabulary, and he encouraged us to learn words, too. One way he did this was to use words unknown to us, so that we would have to look them up to find their definition. At the time … Continue reading →
Posted in Aging Parents, Family History, Stories, Uncategorized
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Tagged 2016, 2020, 9/11, alterations, authentic, catalyst, change, depression, disaster, genuine, heart attack, honest, horizon, inventions, pacemaker, Pearl Harbor, penicillin, plastic, Vicissitudes, vicissitudes of life
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A tattered and worn out teddy bear named “Teddy” stands guard near our bedroom window on this cold December morning, awaiting his 64th Christmas morning this year. He is surrounded by other ancients: the Chattanooga Lookouts baseball given to me … Continue reading →
It was a great honor to be asked to sing “The Impossible Dream” (1965, music by Mitch Leigh, lyrics by Joe Darion) at my high school graduation in May 1971. Along with an amphitheater filled with parents and students, another … Continue reading →
Posted in Stories, Uncategorized
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Tagged 1965, 1971, anger, Christ, Christmas, Deliverer, Don Quixote, Evil One, gifts, Impossible, invisible, Jesus, Joe Darion, Magi, Man of La Mancha, Messiah, Mitch Leigh, ordinary, Rincon High School, savior, shepherds, The Impossible Dream, The Quest, University of Arizona, Xmas
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If you were a boy like me, growing up (initially) in the South in the early 1950s, then you probably like trains as much as I do. There is both a mystique and an irresistible call in the air when … Continue reading →
Posted in Family History, Fathers, Stories, Uncategorized
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Tagged 1950s, 1963, Arkansas, Chattanooga Tennessee, Don Cossack Choir, electric trains, Hebrew, HO gauge, idyllic, Isaiah 53, Kinsett, Lionel, Mayberry, Searcy, Southern Railroad, Tucson Arizona, Utopia, virus
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Times are hard right now. In addition to the usual concerns of the day (the economy, the healthcare system, political rivalries, etc.) there are any number of thorny issues that are pressing on the populace, demanding attention and threatening our … Continue reading →
We called her “Mawmaw” (with an accent on both syllables) after the grandkids came along (“Mamaw” was an alternate pronunciation, emphasizing the first syllable), but she was always “Mom” to my wife, and “Mary” to her husband, Marty. Born in … Continue reading →
Posted in Aging Parents, Assisted Living, Family History, Nursing Homes, Stories, Uncategorized
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Tagged 1949, brain aneurysm, breast cancer, Coat of Many Colors, Dolly Parton, Flatwoods KY, Globe KY, Guillian-Barre, Portsmouth OH
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I started counseling again in January 2021. No, not me counseling others; rather, me being counseled. It has been many years since I have been on the proverbial “couch,” 21 years in fact. I am a retired 67 year old … Continue reading →
The Lost Story 