Maury Robertson

Remember Orville Redenbacher? He is famous for his popcorn, but also for his philosophy: Do one thing and do it better than anyone. He made some really good popcorn. As a teenager I ran into Orville’s philosophy everywhere I went. My teachers and...

There are only two types of people: male and female, tall and short, literate and illiterate, liberal and conservative, Americans and foreigners, rich and poor, old and young, attractive and unattractive, pious and profane ... Obviously, the idea...

My co-workers and I were sitting at a desk with furrowed brows, staring at the computer screen. We were in the midst of a heated debate over the design of our website. Which wording was best? Which font should we use? Which color? At the time, our...

Last week, we watched the Sutter High School girls’ basketball team take on Wheatland. The game came down to the final seconds and the girls played their hearts out. It was exhilarating to watch. But what fascinated me most was the referees. It was...

One of my useless talents is the ability to juggle. I picked this up in high school, trying to impress a girl. (It's the sort of thing you do if you're no good at sports.) Learning to juggle is a multistep process. For starters, you must be able to...

Our dishwasher leaks. The driveway needs gravel. The trees need pruning. The paint is fading. Our windows are dirty. The floors are scuffed. The trash is full. Fourteen years ago, when we finished building our house, I thought we had reached the...

Up and down. Back and forth. Black and white. Maury and Julie. Opposites attract. They do not mix. During my first years of marriage, I thought there was something wrong with my wife. As we lay in bed, I would wax on eloquently (I thought) about some...

On Christmas Eve, the children are nestled all snug in their beds with visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads. On New Year’s Eve, I join them. The new year, 2013, will be my year. I will get in shape. I will master a second language. I will...

Who in their right mind would make such a world? There is no shortage of amateur theologians to explain. But if righteous Job asked the question and received nothing but a whirlwind for an answer, why should we believe that anyone else has better...

It was a most unwelcome sight. I was lost in thought when I glanced up to see a cougar 30 yards ahead, smack in the middle of the trail. My reverie came to an abrupt end. We stood frozen, staring at each other. I have no idea what was going through...