Stories & Blogs

Roy’s Sunday Letter for September 8, 2024

** My Santa Fe friend, Roger, introduced me to the important role of Creating an Experience. The Experience could be in car shopping, at Costco or the fast-growing local taco shop. Yet, the rapid expansion of parking reserved for Curbside Pick-up, Uber Eats, along with zooming, ATM and fast-food lanes, limits our experience of each…

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Roy’s Sunday Letter for September 1, 2024

** A true American hero, Senator John Lewis, now has a bronze 12′ statue in front of the county courthouse in Decatur, Georgia. The statue of Senator Lewis replaces a monument to the Confederacy that had stood for 100 years. Younger SL readers may not know the heritage and role of Senator Lewis in making…

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Roy’s Sunday Letter for August 25, 2024

** Habitat For Humanity (Ft. Worth) has city approval to construct a “tiny house community” for seniors. Habitat will build 31 one-bedroom homes of 465 sq. feet and 8 two-bedroom homes of 835 sq. feet, along with a pavilion, pond, and walking trails. Any future sell by a homeowner will have to meet age and…

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Roy’s Sunday Letter for August 18, 2024

** CNN’s Good Stuff brings us inspiration and encouragement. In Gothenburg, Sweden, an orchestra has come together involving 300 players with different backgrounds, languages, voices, and musical talent, including Ron Davis, conductor. Members are refugees, immigrants, and others searching for a safe place to live, play and be a part of something special, thus, The…

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Roy’s Sunday Letter for August 11, 2024

“ Opinions do not strengthen connections; Opinions do not carry the power to heal divisions nor hearts. The sharing of our Stories is how we connect; by listening to the stories of others, and telling our own story, divisions are healed, as are our hearts.” Roy Bowen – 2024 ** Multiple internet sites provide reasons…

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Roy’s Sunday Letter for August 4, 2024

** The word Community has been heard often this week. The Paris Olympics have encouraged Community across borders, language, and teams to form International Communities. Toyota ads promote joining the “Toyota Community.” The rapid growth of online global Communities provides everyone, whether urban or rural, a way and place to belong. My heritage and understanding…

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Roy’s Sunday Letter for July 28, 2024

Last week’s Sunday Letter described the importance of uniforms to student for improving academic achievement and consistent attendance. I have now learned the members of our local University Christian Church, provided 6,897 shirts, jeans, and shorts to Fort Worth girls and boys during the 2023-24 school year. I am sure UCC would welcome your contribution…

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Roy’s Sunday Letter for July 21, 2024

** Each Monday, I begin with a blank pad of paper following the sending forth of the Sunday Letter. The process seems to include notes on a news item, a quote on keeping the seams together of society, climate, faith and perhaps a personal sharing begins the slow move from pad to screen. When the…

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Roy’s Sunday Letter for July 14, 2024

** As you know, Public Libraries have always been my safe place. My mother took me to the Fort Worth library for my 1st library card when I was 7 or 8. The library encouraged me to be curious, to explore and to learn. In 2024, (rural and urban) libraries are still community hubs for…

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Roy’s Sunday Letter for July 7, 2024

** Sunday Letter readers live coast to coast. Each of you bring a unique perspective and background to your comments and email follow-ups. One observant reader responded via email: “There are Land people and there are Ocean people.” It seems to me that Ocean people see different colors of green, brown, ocean and sky blues,…

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Roy’s Sunday Letter for May 31, 2026

Meeting Beth & Turning Calendar to 82 Remembering the last Sunday in May, 1977. My life was blessed by meeting Beth at St. Francis Presbyterian, a Ft. Worth house church. Our life together began that Sunday and has continued for 49 years, through 4 cities, 5 dogs, and 5 homes. From our commitment to learn…

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Roy’s Sunday Letter for May 24, 2026

The Songs & Artists of Youth & Senior Years Music, both the sounds and the lyrics, were woven into my youth, working years, and now elder years. Today’s Sunday’s writing will present five of my forever songs. Most Sunday Letter readers were too young, or not even born, in 1966 when Joan Baez came out…

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Roy’s Sunday Letter for May 17, 2026

Creating and Sustaining Community This week’s Sunday Letter has been inspired by Beth’s Delta Zeta Sorority’s magazine “The Lamp.” The current issue focuses on creating and sustaining sisterhood communities. Some readers of the Sunday Letter may participate in a local church, civic, or neighborhood association. Other readers may yet to have that experience or opportunity….

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Roy’s Sunday Letter for May 10, 2026

MOTHER’S DAY 2026 Writing about mother’s is an opportunity as well as a challenge… Readers of the Sunday Letter may have experienced birth mothers, stepmothers, mothers-in-law or other family members who provided the role of mothers as best possible. Through our service at the Hope & Healing Place in Amarillo, we also know of mothers’…

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Roy’s Sunday Letter for May 3, 2026

All About Goodness First Goodness: I had been dreading the clinic appointment with the Cardiologist. I had completed 3 recent heart tests and would hear test results and recommended next treatment…perhaps a Pacemaker or new medication. Instead, our MD explained my heart had a minor flow issue but were not health threatening. “See you in…

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Roy’s Sunday Letter for April 26, 2026

About HOPE….How To Keep….Offer HOPE To Others Lately, as I have talked and listened to friends and family, I heard and felt their general despair. This despair seems to be from reports on the news, decisions being made by the unqualified, random acts of violence and harm to the innocent. I also heard and felt…

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Roy’s Sunday Letter for April 19, 2026

Benefits of Letting the Old Man or Woman In Toby Keith wrote and recorded Don’t Let the Old Man In during his last months of treatment and eventual death from stomach cancer. There is a popular site offering T-shirts, hats, and bags with this message. I understand the resistance and push back of letting the…

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Roy’s Sunday Letter for April 12, 2026

Paying Attention And Accepting My Limitations Beth, Peter, and I gather twice monthly to share writings and journals. We three also share of our individual lives. Beth and Peter encouraged me to allow a recent individual writing as the content of a Sunday Letter and thus I have done so this week. This Sunday Letter…

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Roy’s Sunday Letter for April 5, 2026

This Easter weekend Beth & I walked our neighborhood block of 16 homes. Beth had prepared a gift bag for each neighbor with Zucchini bread, a card with her original art on the front and contact information. Both Jesus and Mr. Rogers spoke about neighbors. By knocking on 16 doors, we extended the hand of…

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Roy’s Sunday Letter for March 29, 2026

Neighbors and Neighborhoods 2026 I am writing this week about the ways both neighbors and neighborhoods have changed, never to return to the days of images and memories of our experiences often reflected in a TV series or movie. Beth and I live on a traditional block of 16 homes. In my youth I grew-up…

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