Tangents – Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

Eating your own

June 30, 2026

Have you seen the Cinnamon Toast Crunch commercials where one piece of cereal is eaten by another? This is cannibalism at its best. We all know we should not eat people, and some vegans, vegetarians, and others have decided not to eat other animals or even animal products.

This is another of those columns that I call tangents. When I worked in a pet store and then as assistant livestock manager at a pet wholesaler, I learned that many species in the animal world consume each other. We used inexpensive goldfish as feeders for larger fish. We sold a lot of them to hobbyists who raised large breeds.

I also learned about the species that attacked each other. There is a Siamese fighting fish where the males must be kept separate. Most of the time they are kept in individual bowls from all other fish. The females are safe with other species, and the males can cohabit with larger breeds that will not attack their flowing fins.

When I was young, I learned that male guppies had to be separated from the females before they gave birth, or they would eat their own young. Mice and rats are the same way, which I learned when I was the assistant livestock manager. We raised these in our department because of the ease.

My wife and I purchased a breeding pair of black gerbils and raised and sold them to my boss. As animal breeders, we learned that most rodents tended to kill and consume their young even when they were well fed. That is one of the disgusting aspects of animal husbandry.

More disgusting is that we humans tend to attack each other. I am not just speaking of physical violence; I also have seen families and friends verbally consume each other. I wish we would all watch these cereal ads and think about what we do to each other.

Children and teenagers say, “I hate you” to their parents and other authority figures. This is hurtful, but we as parents and adults know that they do not mean it, really. Or at least they will grow out of it. It seems that many in our society think that speaking hateful words to others is acceptable. I watch press conferences where many influential people seem to criticize, abuse, and denigrate anyone who disagrees with them.

I believe, as a born-again believer in Jesus, that we should treat each other with kindness and patience, which are the first attributes of God’s love. I know many of you think that Christians are the last ones that you would trust to treat you this way. I am sorry if you have confused Christians with followers of Jesus. Read my previous columns, and I hope you learn the difference between Church people and Jesus’ followers.

Improving brain power

June 20, 2026

Did you know that you can increase your mental ability with an app or a pill? That’s what they tell you about on the TV commercials. I am getting tired of companies pushing medicines, supplements, and phone applications to fix situations we should see a doctor about.

Last year, I had been trying one of the over-the-counter supplements to aid memory, and it was not working. I was concerned about Alzheimer’s or dementia and decided to ask my doctor to determine if it was what is expected for my age. After a few tests, I was given a prescription that works for age-related memory loss.

There are prescription drugs that a neurologist can prescribe for this type of situation. I’ve been on one of these and have had significant improvement. Another way to benefit your brain is by playing games such as Sudoku, reading and writing, and practicing mind-expanding exercises.

One of these ads I have seen promotes an app that helps you build your vocabulary. Put the phone down and pick up a book. Call a friend or family member and have a nice mind-expanding conversation. I have always enjoyed all these activities. I sat in the break room at work for lunch and discussed current events with some fellow workers.

Some of my aunts were constantly on their phones talking to each other in the days when phones had cords and were attached to wires in the wall of your house. These ladies were the ones who kept the rest of the family in the loop better than social media ever has.

Take a walk with a friend and discuss problems with children, spouses, or even in-laws. I remember how many of us have had mental health problems since the shutdowns and quarantines of the COVID-19 pandemic. I’ve lived long enough to see all types of fads and supplements that were supposed to work but seldom did.

Just because they sell it on TV does not mean that it will work for you or that it is worth what they want you to pay for it. You know how much companies pay for the advertising that they use to convince you that you need that app or whatever they are selling.

I spent a short period of time in marketing and over twenty years in sales. My time in purchasing taught me that I should not trust everything that those who want my money tell me. Have you noticed how many people who want to sell you something call themselves influencers?

You are the one who should decide if you want to be influenced into buying, using, or doing anything. You have a brain, use it to make decisions for yourself, and stop believing the words of others until you check to be sure they know what they are talking about.

Shadows or reflections

June 15, 2026

Think about the difference between these two concepts. A shadow is what you see when the light is blocked. Reflections are what we see when the light bounces off a reflective surface. It is reversed. Look deeper.

Another difference between the two is that a shadow has little definition of an image. Reflections may be well-defined or not. We think of reflections as being seen in a mirror, but they can be seen in other reflective surfaces like shiny metal or water.

I enjoy seeing the reversed image of the sky in a pond or lake and have even tried to duplicate this effect in landscapes that I have attempted to learn to paint. Bob Ross was always much better at this than I am currently. I continue to follow his tutelage in hopes that I can approve.

There are recordings from the 1960s that I recall from my top forty listening days called “Silhouettes on the Shade.” This is a shadow caused by a light inside that is formed on a solid surface or even a window shade. In this song, a guy thinks he sees another guy kissing his girl. I like the humorous twist in the last verse.

Speaking of reflections, I always like to ask folks if they’ve ever looked in the mirror and seen their parents watching them. I am not speaking of ghosts or spirits, but I mean it to be a funny way of asking if they believe that they look like their parents. Some will say that they do not, and others have never noticed one way or the other.

That makes me think of the question, “Are you becoming your parent?” I think that depends on whether you think they are decent human beings. I used to have reasons that I did not want to be like mine in certain ways. I have overcome their influence in some areas of life and failed in others.

Are you a reflection of your parents or only in their shadow? I once thought that I had surpassed my mother and father in many ways. For many years, I have seen that I am learning to reflect their values in new and different ways.

They were members of labor unions and voted a straight democratic ticket. This taught me to view each candidate for their own opinions. The decisions they make might not be good for me personally, but they need to be of benefit to most of us. Votes that are self-seeking are not good decisions.

When I was in college, I took a job at the factory where Mom worked. After ninety days, I would have to join the union. I told my mother that I would not stay that long and would give my notice before that happened. The closer that day came, the more I told her that I would never work in a factory again.

I have worked in several factories but never in one that was a union shop. I understand a lot about why some believe they are good and why management does not appreciate them. My biggest problem with labor organizations is their inability to allow dedicated employees to go beyond expectations.

I reflect my parents’ loyalty to their jobs and cast a shadow on ignoring individuality in everyone. We need to become who we and our Lord wants us to be without getting in the way of anyone else. God bless your reflections, and let others step out of your shadow.

Waffle Cone

May 7, 2026

This is one of my favorite ways to eat ice cream. Whether it is rocky road, butter brickle, brownie fudge, or one of my other favorite flavors, it is always enjoyable. What is not enjoyable is when we or others waffle on decisions. If you are not familiar with this term, I will explain.

Do you have a boss, friend, or someone else who says one thing and then changes their mind? You know the situation. They say do this or that, and then when you start the process, you are told that was not what they meant. It is your fault. It is not because they changed their mind. That is waffling.

It can also be used for those who have trouble making up their minds. This is not as bad as the previously mentioned folks who change your instructions along with their minds. At times, these occurrences are humorous, while others are frustrating.

One of our Presidents many years ago was shown as a waffle in political cartoons because he often changed his mind on whether to sign legislation sponsored by his party. Of course, the artist supported the other candidates. No politicizing there.

I believe everyone should have the right to change their minds. Where I draw the line is when I am asked to change more than once. I had a boss who had this tendency. I never proceeded with a project until I was certain it would not cause extra work.

I have always attempted to have integrity, and part of that is communicating clearly and not moving on to a project until all decisions have been finalized. Jesus told us that a man does not build a tower until he counts the cost, and a general does not attack until he has checked whether he can win with the forces he has.

In my career, I have not been completely diligent about analyzing my own talents and abilities before accepting a new position. I took a marketing director position even though I had no experience or training in that position. It required writing copy, shooting photographs, and making layouts for brochures and catalogs.

These were procedures with which I had a great deal of experience. When I took my first purchasing job, I had already learned about almost every product that I would be responsible for acquiring. This was done as I was a salesman and a manager at retail stores. When asked if I could do the job, I immediately replied yes. It was no a brainer for me.

I was an office manager with a company for a total of eighteen years when our branch manager started fighting breast cancer. I was required to step into her duties and be both the office manager and the branch manager. During my time at these two positions, I also made calls as our salesman and was able to increase the sales for the branch significantly.

Setting your mind on what you need to do and getting it done is the best way to live your life. I’ve been laid off twice and fired once from jobs. The one I lost for cause claimed that I wanted to be terminated.

I returned the day after I was let go to return my keys, and a former employee was at my desk. They wanted to give my position to someone else and did not have the decency to just tell me that. That is not waffling; it is the epitome of bad management. Whenever I hear someone is considering working there, I don’t explain myself; I just tell them to stay away from them.

No, on One

April 13, 2026

There was a proposition on the Springfield ballot for Tuesday April 7^th on a hotel motel tax to remodel and build additions to our existing Civic Center on St. Louis Street. I am not a citizen of the city. I live in the county so I and other residents near us could not vote on this issue.

On election day, my wife and I were at our polling place and voted on a candidate and issue in the Ebenezer Fire District. No one was talking about this issue. The April election determines whether you are a faithful voter or just someone who wants the right to be able to complain when the vote goes against what you want. You don’t understand this? If you did not vote, you do not have any right to complain, because you did not vote.

My wife and I are so committed to the idea of voting, we also serve as election judges for Greene County, Missouri. We have done this for over fifteen years. It was important to vote in this election because it may be your last chance. For my entire life, we as Americans have had this privilege. There are people including our President who wants to keep you from voting, if you do not agree with them.

The current Iranian conflict may well be the way to accomplish this. If we are attacked on US soil and Martial Law are declared, the 2028 election could be canceled. Especially if the candidates for offices are ‘accidentally’ killed before we can vote for or against them.

It is not only the Trumpites that want to restrict voting. Other groups do not think that many of us should have this right. It isn’t just your color, religious preferences, sexual identity, or opinions that they wish to control. Have you noticed how often something you voted against comes back to the forefront, again.

Proposition One in Springfield was just this type of issue. It was defeated last year and came back again. It was defeated by even more voters this time. Will it be back again next time or next year? We have been told that it will not be on the ballot again. I will believe that when I see it. We are from Missouri. My guess is that it will appear on the November ballot in 2028. If it is, you heard it here first.

Don’t say you haven’t been warned when this happens. I have been voting for more than fifty years and have never felt that this could be a possibility until now. Donald Trump and his supporters proved they were willing to kill our Congress and Senate in 2020. They murdered a guard and the President pardoned them once he regained power. What next?

Tamper evident tape

February 28, 2026

While breaking down some cardboard boxes for recycling just now, I found these words on the sealing tape as I slit it and folded the box up. I thought it was appropriately named. As a purchasing agent for forty years, I have seen products that were called “tamper-proof tape.” They weren’t.

I carry a pocketknife. Where? Duh, in my pocket. I have for years. I also always had box cutters in my desk drawer or workstation. I could open any package or box you gave me. I also removed the tape and replaced it with new tape to reuse the boxes.

An expert eye knew I had done this. I trained others to be as good or better than me at reusing packaging materials. I even sold paint that was specifically designed to cover brown boxes and conceal markings that were printed on them. So, what is the purpose of tamper-evident tape?

When a vendor sends you a package, and you start to open it, if I have slit it and hurriedly retaped it, you can tell. We all know about tamper-proof medicine packaging. When I was little, we did not have that. Then, some guy decided to poison people he did not even know. Now, I sometimes wish I could use explosives to open those boxes and bottles.

These are all signs of the fallen world that we live in. Yes, I said Fallen. We messed it up. If you don’t know this story, it is in the book of beginnings in the Bible. (Genesis 3) You do know that the Hebrew word for beginning is Genesis, and that is where the title of this book comes from, because it starts, “In the beginning God.”

It does not matter if we accept it or not. It is true, and those who deny it are false. There is right and wrong, even if I want to do wrong and call it correct behavior. That is why we need tamper-evident tape. Some want to get into our packages and remove what they want.

I’ve contacted vendors when a box did not have what it was supposed to. The first question is always, “Had the tape been tampered with?” My answer was that I did not believe it had been. It is the same in our lives. Family, friends, and others want to control, use, or abuse us. Don’t let them. There is someone who encourages them to do this. He is our constant adversary. The Bible calls him Satan.

How do you make your life tamper-evident? You will never be tamper-proof. Be honest and forthright with everyone. Stay true to what Jesus and Holy Spirit tell you to do. Avoid the temptations that Satan, the adversary, puts in your way. And pray that He will protect you and your family.

United States of America

February 12, 2026

Donald Trump is talking about nationalizing our elections. He wants to do this for himself. It will backfire. He cannot run for President again. He has served two terms. Even if he is impeached next year and forced from office, he will have finished a term and a half, or, for his benefit and others as stupid as he is, six years.

That makes him ineligible for another run, according to the 22^nd Amendment of the Constitution, which is currently Federal law. The only exceptions were for those in office while the states ratified that document. Two Presidents wanted to run for a third term, Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama, but could find no legal way to do so.

President Trump has discussed invoking martial law and attempting to overthrow our entire Constitution by declaring a state of emergency. I believe this is why he wants Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as well as our military and National Guard units, deployed in Democratically controlled states.

No one in the administration where these discussions have been conducted seems to want to admit that this is what he is doing. When his opponents, both of his own party and others, question his intentions, he makes excuses. This reminds me of what Adolf Hitler and other dictators have done elsewhere.

Probably in 2028, the chance of a Republican winning is slim. I don’t think we need either a Democrat or a Republican. They are the ones regularly shutting down our government. They have done this for more than twenty years. It is only getting worse. Twice during the Trump Presidency, it has occurred.

The President wants control of the elections so that he won’t have to worry about losing again. He still claims that he won in 2020 even though there is no legitimate authority that has ever supported his claims. The only ones who believe him are those who killed a security guard, destroyed federal property, attempted to overthrow a legal election, and received pardons from him.

Why is he wrong, once again? The thirteen colonies under England joined together to gain freedom to choose for themselves. They formed an organization that is now referred to as a country. Something that each of these thirteen states wanted was sovereignty. This was once referred to as States Rights. During my lifetime, our system of Constitutional checks and balances has been challenged by all three branches of our government.

My freshman civics teacher taught us that the legislative, executive, and judicial branches were established in our Constitution to stop any of these bodies from becoming despotic. Donald Trump’s appointments to the Supreme Court have restored the balance there.

Now he wants Congress to turn a blind eye, as they have been, thanks to a Republican majority in both houses. In November, we can stop this. Trump is being stopped by our judiciary from overthrowing the Constitution. He tries to accomplish this by executive orders. Congress and our courts must stop tyrants.

Thomas Jefferson and others wrote that this document gave us the right to overthrow our government every four years. That remains our privilege. At least until they are re-elected and can change our laws and Constitution to suit them. Every Congressperson must be defeated. As well as every Senator who is up for a new term.

The Federal government is not our only adversary. State legislators who are adjoined to political parties that want to control We The People must be stopped as well. I am calling on those of you who are young enough to run as non-Partisan candidates for every office in this nation.

I am talking about local, state, and national positions. There are those in the Missouri legislature who want to prevent the citizens of Springfield from voting against policies that we find to be bad for our communities. Even some of our local officials support this. We will stop this here in Missouri.

Throw out those who want Donald Trump or anyone else to run your lives as they see fit. We have a constitution in each state and on the federal level to stop them. These must be upheld and reinforced against the oppression that threatens us today. Tell all of them, “You are fired.”

The printer

January 6, 2026

This title could be a story about my friend Rick or my Uncle George. Both were printers by trade. Rick worked for the Springfield Newspaper for thirty or forty years, and George did the same at the Kansas City Star. Some day I may regale you with stories of these fine men, but that is not tonight.

God woke me up tonight to write as He does sometimes. When I walked into the living room, I noticed a light in our dining room. I went to see what I had left glowing when we went to bed and found our printer was lit up with an error message. In the dark, it is very bright.

During the day, you do not notice these messages, and that screen is often dark when we have not used it for a while. Tonight, in the dark house, it was apparent from the next room. You are probably asking yourself, “Where is he going with this thought?”

One of my categories is Tangents. That is what this is. These are wild, stray thoughts that come to my mind. As I sit at my laptop, I am reminded of Jesus’ words, “You are the light of the world.” I’m going to offer a non-theological commentary on this idea.

Light is a common thing in our world. During the day, sunshine illuminates most of the outdoors. If you are fortunate enough to have windows in your home, you can raise the blinds and move around inside without needing your electric lights. My wife, Cindy, likes to do this. My eyes are not as good as hers anymore, and sometimes I must flip a switch for the artificial light.

Jesus was referring to His followers as being a source of light in our dark world. This is a reflected light. That has been my ministry for over fifty years. I call myself a workplace minister because I’ve never pastored a church. My congregation was the people I encountered on a daily basis as I performed my different jobs.

I am a light in the darkness. I tell you about my Jesus and what He means to me. I share with you how He touches my life and speaks truth into it. That may seem strange to you, and that is fine. My Christian readers understand what I am saying. We are lights in a world that is full of darkness, as this room was tonight. A small shine from a printer control screen got my attention. This is our job. Shine a little brightness in the gloom and guide someone to Jesus.

You are not to be a glaring beacon from a spotlight. Just be a candle in the darkness. I’ve had some say that they knew I was a man of God or a religious person. They saw His reflected light in me. I don’t draw attention to myself intentionally.

Others notice something coming from us, and they go like Moses did when he saw a bush burning in the desert. It should have burned out quickly. It did not. Do not be a flash that no one can find when they need questions answered, be that light that brightens the darkness of their distress. Let them come to you and tell them what He has done for you. It is that simple.

Green Monday

November 28, 2025

We have progressed from Thanksgiving to Black Friday. Then on to buy local Saturday, and Cyber Monday, followed by Giving Tuesday. When I started writing this morning, I saw that today is Green Monday. Where did all of this begin?

Go back with me to those thrilling days of yesteryear. I first learned of Black Friday in the 1980s when my wife and I had three young children. Did it exist before then? Not in Springfield, Missouri. I think Wal-Mart brought it here. The first year or two, my wife went by herself or did her shopping before 7:30 AM.

My job required some of us to be in the office on the Friday after Thanksgiving. We alternated. Those who had to work after Thanksgiving were given Christmas Eve off. It worked well and meant I only had to go Black Friday shopping every other year. We eventually stopped working on that Friday, and I became a full-time Black Friday aficionado.ame Black Friday come from? Supposedly, this was the day when businesses that struggled all year would make enough sales to cover what they had lost. My experience in business is that if you go from January to the end of November without a profit, you are out of business. The journalists who invented the term Black Friday did not think this through.

Local Saturday came a few years ago after Cyber Monday. Monday was the day the online companies had their big discounts. Now every day is Cyber Day for some internet retailers. For others, any day is a day to con you out of your hard-earned money.

We should all buy local and not just on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Local retailers are the main reason you have a grocery or hardware store in your community. Avoid Wal-Mart and check out these local shops as often as you can. I will give you some of my favorites in days to come.

Now back to the present and Giving Tuesday. We have all spent all our money on Thanksgiving dinner and Friday, Saturday, and Monday shopping. How does anyone expect us to give money on Tuesday? We should be given at least one to two weeks to receive our next paycheck. For us seniors, it will be later this month when the social insecurity checks arrive.

What can we do about this? For this year, set aside five percent or more of your next paychecks. If it isn’t very much, do not worry. Every little bit helps. Select one charity each check or one for the final weeks of 2025. Do your part.

For next year’s budget, that’s five percent from each pay period. Determine now who deserves it. Do the research. Your first contribution should be given to your local church or place of worship. I suggest five percent. A tithe is ten percent to the church. If you can’t spare five percent of each check, give a couple of bucks.

Help those whom you can, and do not forget that giving begins at home. If you have no extra money because you are helping parents, children, siblings, or someone else that you know personally, do not worry. You can always donate time to the organizations that you want to support. Giving is not only monetary.

What about this Green Monday? It seems to have been created by eBay. Another chance for the cyber shoppers. It is a day when you purchase used products. If these are for others, I suggest looking around the house for regifting options. Beware of whom you select for these items. You might want to ask, “Do you remember when you gave me ___.”

Some local brick-and-mortar stores are getting in on the hype. Remember to watch your budget. Whatever happened to Taco Tuesday? Merry Christmas. Happy Hanukkah. Joyful Kwanzaa, and Happy New Year.

My wife and I could not get married

September 19, 2025

A new law has gone into effect in the state of Missouri that now makes it illegal for a seventeen-year-old girl to marry a twenty-one-year-old man. That was the situation for Cindy and I forty-nine years ago. According to the statutes at that time, we were allowed to marry after her mother signed our application for a marriage license.

That is now illegal. Let me explain my problem with this new provision. I was graduating from college. Cindy had another year of high school to go. I did not know if I would be moving after graduation. We planned our wedding, got married, and moved to Joplin two weeks later with three days’ notice.

Missouri law today states that my girlfriend and I could move together, but not as man and wife. Missouri has legalized living together outside of marriage, but not as a married couple. Legislators, did you consider this when you approved this bill?

There are a lot of words in what you voted for. Did you read them all? I am sure your aids and advisors showed you the parts that protect the underage. This was your main purpose. However, someone removed language from the previous law that allowed parents to let those between sixteen and eighteen be married, provided the parent signs the marriage application.

Missouri law has already removed the parents’ rights to prosecute an adult who has sex with a seventeen-year-old. Seventeen-year-olds are not allowed to have other adult responsibilities. But with your supreme wisdom, parents cannot allow them to legally marry, but they can just move in together.

Cindy’s mom knew that we could cohabit legally if we wanted to. She allowed us to do it with the approval of the state. You have taken that away from decent, God-fearing young people. You should be ashamed.

My assemblyman and state senator who voted for this will never receive my vote again unless this is changed in the next session. I know that you drag your feet until someone makes you do something, and it is usually your political bosses. Guess what? We, the voters, are your real employers.

My intention is to advocate for the firing of every person who failed to see the effect this error would have on our young people. Yes, many of them already live together. You took away their right to do it morally. Someone told you this was a good idea. They were wrong. I hope you understand that now.

You’ve pissed me off one last time. Fix it or lose your elected positions, and do not expect us to forget that you do not care about those of us that you claim to want to help. We have longer memories than elephants. We don’t all have political Alzheimer’s as you hope.

Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

Walk With a Servant

Category: Tangents