J. Davy Crockett III

It can be cold and wet in December in the scenic valleys of Tennessee, but it is a beautiful setting nonetheless. Not much has changed here in a generation. It's not crowded. The old neighborhoods seem to be unchanging, a pleasant, quiet, small town, unhurried, unbothered in a time when most folks are bustling about.

I suppose it is a sign of growing older when one gets into the habit of reading the obituaries in the newspaper. Especially if you have been in one place for a very long time, you find the names of friends, business associates, and people with whom you have come into contact written up on the obituary pages. It is a sobering reminder of our mortality as human beings.

A recent trip to a local outdoor produce market revealed a wide variety of locally grown produce on display, including many vegetables as well as colorful fruits such as strawberries, peaches and plums—beautiful things to eat. It is the beginning of the season, and the fruits and vegetables are fresh and plentiful. The abundance was amazing, and the market was buzzing as people milled about selecting the items they found appealing.

There is a strange connection, a recurring theme in some well-known places around the globe, spanning different cultures with diverse religions. In Vatican Square, Mecca, Jerusalem and even in Washington, DC are found prominent, architectural monuments: huge stone obelisks which have their origins in ancient Egypt. It seems incongruous that such disparate locations and cultures around the world would feature monuments based on this ancient symbol.