Ron's Blog

Enjoy Ron Culberson's insights on a variety of topics

Fear Not

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Fear Not

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” —Franklin Delano Roosevelt Sometimes, I think we should update President Roosevelt’s quote to say, “The only thing we have to fear is our messed up minds!” For example… A few days ago, I was lost in a daydream. Has this every happened to you? You’re […]

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I Have a Lot on My Mind

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I Have a Lot on My Mind

My mind functions like a pile of garbage during a windstorm. One thought after another gets dumped onto the pile until there is a mountain of unnecessary, discarded trash. Then, a gust of wind comes along and the thoughts are stirred up into a whirlwind as I chase each one all over the heap. This […]

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Lucky, Unlucky, or Just Life-y?

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Lucky, Unlucky, or Just Life-y?

When I was five years old, I went to the dentist and discovered that I had four cavities that needed fillings. This was a bit unusual because the cavities were located on the exterior surface of my canine teeth, the fang-like teeth at the corner of my mouth. Luckily, even in Appalachia, the dentist had […]

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Waiting Room

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Waiting Room

As a child, Highlights magazine would keep me fully distracted for the hours that I spent waiting to see the doctor or dentist. The silly jokes, hidden picture puzzles, and short articles (for short attention spans) kept my mind off an impending vaccination or the always dreaded, “turn your head and cough.” While People magazine […]

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A Full Circle Moment

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A Full Circle Moment

In 1979, I was a high school senior and considered myself a pretty funny eighteen-year-old. One might see this as a lack of insight. But it was reinforced by my mother, who indiscriminately laughed at everything I said, and my high school principal who let me write funny announcements and deliver them over the intercom. […]

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It Doesn’t Ring a Bell

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It Doesn’t Ring a Bell

This story was adapted from Ron’s first book “Is Your Glass Laugh Full”. It is available as a free download, along with “My Kneecap Seems Too Loose” at https://ronculberson.com/store/) Growing up, my family was probably considered middle class by the socioeconomic standards in Emory, Virginia. We had more than we needed—decent clothes on our backs, […]

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Being a Card for the Holidays

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Being a Card for the Holidays

It’s that time of year again. The leaves have fallen, the stores are packed, and people are flipping me off in traffic. Ah, the sights and sounds of the holidays. There’s nothing quite like the annual tradition of credit cards dancing and bank accounts leaping. One thing is for sure. These good tidings go on […]

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Lessons for Little Ones (and Big Ones Too)

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Lessons for Little Ones (and Big Ones Too)

(Photo of Ron Culberson as a child, wanting to be a grown up!)   I’m in my second month of being a new grandfather. I don’t know if I’m any good at it but I do know that I’m more comfortable with a baby than I was when I was a new father. In fact, […]

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I Thought I Was Being Clever

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I Thought I Was Being Clever

When I was a teenager, I didn’t drink, didn’t smoke, and didn’t engage in other wayward behavior. I was basically a rule-following nerd. However, since I was a funny and somewhat clever rule-following nerd, I did occasionally harm others with painful wordplay. I probably should have received some sort of pun-ishment (see what I mean?). […]

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A Brush With Celebrity

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A Brush With Celebrity

One of the benefits of being a strikingly good looking, hilariously funny, and humble professional speaker is that I’ve gotten to learn from some pretty cool people over the years. Once, I got to spend time backstage chatting with Rabbi Harold Kushner, author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People. I also had dinner […]

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