Tangents – Page 2 – Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

Will the Cubs win the World Series in 2015?

June 18, 2025

(This column was written and not published before the end of the 2015 World Series. I have recently added the last part.)

Some say no. This opposes the thoughtful consideration given to this subject almost 40 years ago by Bob Gale, the writer of “Back to the Future Part 2.” He had this be the fact that caught Marty McFly’s attention and led him to make the disastrous move of buying the Gray’s Sports Almanac that Old Biff took to Young Biff in the Time Machine. If you have not seen this classic trilogy of Science Fiction, you must watch it to understand why today’s date is so important. Even Christians in Springfield may enjoy these PG-rated films if your family is old enough to handle the occasional curse words.

There is much speculation on this event because this is the first time in over 100 years the Chicago Cubs are poised to possibly be in the World Series in that fateful year mentioned in a movie almost three decades ago. Do you believe this will happen? They are facing the New York Mets in the National League Championship Series. As the record stands today the Cubs are down by three going into tonight’s game.

If the Cubs win, it may be the one of the few predictions that the movie had correct. We do not have flying cars; hoverboards or holographic billboards and businesses still use fax machines. We also still have bullying as was depicted in the 80’s, but most of it takes place on the internet. The internet, home computers and cell phones aren’t even mentioned by Marty or Doc even though Marty’s kids use video sets like ones currently on the market. The wall of video is possible, but still prohibitively expensive for most except technically savvy.

“Back to the Future” is no different from “1984”, and “2001 A Space Odessey” in missing how our technology would change. What seems like a good invention to someone writing a story may not turn out to be practical or convenient and we all know that convenience rules in our culture. That is why we have the microwave oven even though it was not envisioned before its invention. Many had ideas of food being replaced by pills or synthesizing machines. They did not, however, plan for a machine that just cooks food quicker.

Hopefully Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale will not hold it against the Cubbies if this year becomes The Mets’ next chance to win the series. Let’s also hope it will not disrupt the time/space continuum by eliminating the Cubs before they even make it to the World Series. One can only hope.

That was then. This is now. Are you a Sci-Fi fan like me? I’ve been reading and watching this genre for most of my life. When Apollo Eleven crew Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldren walked on the moon, I found the difference between their rocket and all the ones seen in Movies and TV shows before then almost laughable.

The space shuttle was another science fact that was not expected by the fiction writers until the eighties. Today there are many stories and books that speculate with our society being destroyed by what is considered as the most probable problems. America’s enemies have also changed how these stories are written.

I can’t wait to see the stories published about a president that tries to overthrow our constitution and become a king, emperor, or dictator. These stories were common in the fifties. They were written about communists infiltrating our political system. Who knew it would just be good old American stupidity that causes our economy and government to almost be destroyed.

The shoutin’ Baptist.

January 1, 2025

That’s correct. Mrs. Peale was a shoutin’ Baptist. You’ve never heard of that? Had you been raised in a church with a shoutin” Baptist, you would have heard of it. I don’t remember the first time I heard her shout or the last time. She did not shout every Sunday or at both the morning and evening services.

That is the thing about a shoutin’ Baptist. You don’t know when they will let loose. On several occasions I sat next to someone who did not know about Mrs. Peale. It was such fun to see the look on a visitor’s face. You never seem to react the same the second time it happened.

There was the girl I was dating who was an Assembly of God member. Mrs. Peale let loose the one Sunday she was there with me. I had attended her church, and no one had spoken in tongues or prophesied during the service. They were calm and quiet like you expect Baptists to be.

Then there was Mrs. Peale. Trudy said that we were too wild for her taste. This was just one more case of my being shown who wasn’t the one. Cindy wasn’t scared off by her. Thank you, Mrs. Peale.

Why did she shout? I suspect it is like most of us. If something excites you enough, you must vocalize it. This happens often at sporting events. Fans just shout because of the action around them. That is what triggers shouters, I believe. They are so caught up in the presence of God that they must let go.

Are there times that God speaks to you during worship, or because of hearing a song, or through something someone says? I began experiencing this after I accepted a call to the ministry while in college. When did you first feel this passion for Christ?

What did she shout? It was not always the same thing. Sometimes Hallelujah or amen. Often, we could not tell what she was saying. Hopefully she wasn’t speaking in tongues. This was a “Baptist” church in the 1960’s.

Emotion in worship was not something that we were known for. We believe in spiritual gifts. Most of us were not given the gift of speaking in tongues. Giving, prophecy, service was always big. As was hospitality. When I first realized that one of my gifts was discernment, I could not believe that I was given the ability to determine if people were honest or had an ulterior motive.

As I age, I wonder if I will become a shouter. Do you get to the point where you just get so wrapped up in worship and you forget where you are and who might be offended? Be ready in case this happens. I hope I won’t scare you too much the first time I do it.

The Ozark Empire Fair will never be the same

December 31, 2024

As a teenager, the fair was the place to be in Springfield each summer. Many worked there while others had jobs outside the fair. The Fortners were the competition when I worked at Dog ‘N Suds. It was a friendly competition between Fortner’s A&W’s and the Costello’s Dog ‘N Suds. Both families were Christians and both businesses were anchored in that faith.

Root Beer connoisseurs had their favorite and that was how they determined where they went. Hillcrest students in the seventies did not generally go to the drive-in on Glenstone. I worked at that Dog ‘N Suds location. Because of that, when not working, one must visit both establishments to see every friend. Chris and Mike were on Kearney at their Dad’s place except during the fair. The A&W’s on the fairgrounds were their home then.

After graduation, things often change. Not for the Fortners. The franchise expanded and soon even the old D&S became a Fortner A&W restaurant. Mike and Chris were still there at the fair as was Mike’s wife, Diana.

The generations changed. The restaurants were closed and sold. The A&W was removed from the stands on the fairgrounds, but the Fortners, Dan, Mike, Chris, and Di continued to run them until a few years ago. They also added the Pineapple Whip stands that are a perennial favorite in the Ozarks.

All three Kensinger girls, Heather, Michelle, and Kayla, learned to count change and “If you have time to lean, you have time to clean.” from the Fortners. This father is proud to count them as friends of the family.

It is difficult to know how many doctors, lawyers, nurses, teachers, dads, moms, and possibly even grandfathers and grandmothers owe their start to Mike and his family. Mike passed away a few years ago. Many miss him in Springfield while as many or more have celebrated this man’s legacy from afar.

While he is remembered here, it will be only a short time before he is greeted once again. He has heard, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” He and Diana have lost one of their sons since then. The Pineapple Whip stands have recently opened a permanent location at a newly reopened movie theatre off the square.

The Ozark Empire Fair Board saw fit to begin serving alcoholic beverages years ago. My wife and I have not returned to this event since then. We do not drink and believe that the introduction of alcohol into this family entertainment event is a disservice to our community.

There have been a few other changes at our local agricultural fair. Most counties around the country where farming is a large portion of their economies continue to have fairs of this type. Attendance at many of these events has decreased over time. We have a wide variety of entertainment choices compared to when fairs were popular.

If you have a story about a local fair and your experiences there, I would like to have you share them in the comments. I may decide to share these with you in a future column. Have a happy New Year and make next year a time to make life better for others and by extension, for yourself.

Every girl wants a wolf

October 25, 2024

This is true. They are taught by their parents not to want one, but they really do. Christian parents in Springfield and every other city do not want their daughters to date or marry one. They want her to be the innocent Little Red Riding Hood. The problem is that fathers know that the wolf instinct is in every man. Some just hide it better than others.

What is it about a wolf that makes them desirable? They want the girl. Every girl wants to be wanted and needed. Sometimes it is hard for them to distinguish between the two. Often a guy simply wants her sexually. Once he has that, he moves on to his next prey. He does not need her. He does not respect them. He only wants what they can give him.

My wife and I watch romantic comedies. We are subscribers of the Hallmark streaming service Friendly. This service includes a few channels that also play romcoms. You can even disguise these stories as historical romance, science fiction, mysteries, or family comedy. It doesn’t really matter how you start as long as when a boy meets a girl, the boy gets a girl.

As an author, I know there is a lot more to it than that. As with the wolf, he must be smart enough to entice her to follow him. I grew up with the song that contained the lyrics, “A boy chases a girl until she catches him.” You don’t know that one? It is attached below.

Let’s turn the tables, ladies. You can chase him without him knowing that you are. Don’t worry, men. I will not leave you out either. Some of you are already being pursued as are the women. If you watch non-Hallmark movies, you can see these unscrupulous women and men as they scheme to seduce you. The key is knowing what you want and what you will get.

I dated one girl through high school. No, she isn’t my wife. As a sophomore in college, she decided that we were going in different directions and should see other people. She had gone to her senior prom with someone else, and I don’t know how many others she dated while I only went out with her. A few days later, I found out she had been told about me and another girl from a weekend before. They saw me kissing her.

That was fine with me. I agreed with her. I was never a player. The next spring, my date and I stopped with my best friend to pick up her sister to go to their prom. That was the only school dance I had attended to that point. I’ve gone to others since then. The last ones were with my granddaughters. I went to two, one with each girl while her dad escorted her sister.

I told my three daughters for years that “boys are scum.” I can’t post that phrase on Facebook without them blocking it. I’m not sure what else you can post there. I don’t talk like that. That is all they have rejected of mine. I wanted my girls to learn that the male species is divided between boys and men. Men have your best interest at heart. Boys are directed by their desires.

We bounce back and forth often in our adult lives. Women do the same. They can be sweet and kind or they connive and cunningly get their way. It’s a human thing. Age is not involved in these designations. I needed these three young women, whom Cindy and I were responsible for, to know the difference between a wolf and a loving faithful companion.

Can I get an Amen from those of you who had to learn this the hard way? Don’t misinterpret what I am telling you. We were not perfect. Two of our darlings were engaged and had to break it off before they married the men who have been their husbands for more than a decade now. One was a liar and the other a controller. Do you know any?

A longer relationship before commitment is best. I tried to get all the sons-in-law and daughters to wait until they graduated from college. I did. They reminded me that their mother was still in high school at our wedding. We’ll talk about that in another column. I thought we knew each other after eighteen months of dating. I had a lot to learn.

My girls made the correct choices without me picking their husbands. This way, they could not blame me. I want you to distinguish between those who are more concerned about you and will sacrifice themselves for you. That’s what the Bible teaches in Ephesians 5:25. No one can keep you safe except yourself.

Most hazardous, dangerous, greatest

October 6, 2024

Most of us have heard the clips of the speeches that John Kennedy made where he challenged the US to go to the moon. The emphasis that we hear every few years when we celebrate the Apollo 11 moon landing is a time to replay this sound and video bite. Most of the time we see the address from May 1961 to the Congress.

JFK began the space race with this appeal to our legislators because they would need to provide the funds that were needed. We all know that our country succeeded in this project. We continued to work with others to establish the International Space Station which still orbits our planet.

What we have not heard is the way he ended this talk at least on one occasion. In 1962 President Kennedy spoke at Rice University, Houston, Texas. When he concluded that speech, it was by saying, “As we set sail, we ask God’s blessing on the most hazardous, dangerous, and greatest adventure on which man has ever embarked. Thank you.”

I believe we need to look at this and other speeches by our presidents over the decades to see how they used to encourage us and our ancestors. Kennedy was a great communicator. History has proven that. I was a child and still remember hearing his voice on television. What you hear today we got live on the tube.

I would be amiss if I did not share another Kennedy quote from his inaugural address in 1961. “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” I am attaching a video of that speech. If you have never heard it, please listen to it.

There is no other Presidential speech that is more well known than Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. Both the introduction “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation” and the ending “that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth” give me chills when I think of them.

I was not around when Abe delivered those words. I also did not have to live through either the war between the States or World War II. I have heard President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s words on December 8, 1941. It went out around the country on the radio, “December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy.” He continued speaking to Congress and all Americans when we declared war on Japan for the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Hawaii was not a state at that time. It was a location for a naval and air base to defend our friends in the Pacific Ocean.

Ronald Reagan was also a well-respected orator. His address in Berlin in 1987 contained the words, “General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace. If you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.”

If you did not study it in school, he spoke of what is known as the Berlin Wall. It separated democratic West Germany from USSR-dominated Eastern Germany. They were separated after the Second World War. We came from the West and Russia from the East to defeat Hitler. The two Germanies I knew as a kid are now one.

One last quote from the man who was President when I was born. Dwight Eisenhower said, “Pessimism never won any battle.” Remember this is one of the many famous sayings attributed to the 34^th President. In this election year, we need to remember these sayings as we listen to what the current candidates say.

Are you a DD?

August 29, 2024

For years now I have volunteered my services as a designated driver. The reason I have done this is not because I limit my drinking when I go to bars or clubs. I am seldom at venues where beverage alcohol is served. I do not drink. When I was at business meetings, dinners, or gatherings with friends I was available to provide a safe ride home.

My first contact with overdrinking was at a business event offered by a company where I had just become their purchasing agent. There was an open bar for the customers that were invited. A man who worked for a company we did business with was inebriated. His coworkers and the people who knew him tried to convince him to let them drive him home. He refused.

He staggered to his car and attempted to unlock his car. The keys dropped to the ground. As he tried to find them, one of his friends helped direct him to the passenger door. He was so out of it that they retrieved his keys and helped him home without incident.

A few years later a friend and I were driving down a road when a car pulled out in front of us and ran a red light in front of us. They hit a small truck and flipped it on its side. The two men in it were fortunately both securely belted in. The driver of the car staggered away and was stopped by other witnesses. He had three prior DUIs and a revoked driver’s license but was allowed to plead guilty and enter a treatment program. He did not complete this treatment and was arrested again for the same problem.

Over the last forty years, I have heard of numerous occasions where this happened. I have heard coworkers talking about near misses while driving home from bars or parties. One of my friends was killed by a drunk driver. I do my best to try to help others get home safely.

Again, and again drunks kill people and politicians refuse to face the problem. Time after time legislators and other politicians have been stopped for DUIs. I am not mentioning the children and family members of these public officials who have also been arrested for these same offenses.

I have determined that drunks, their families, and friends should not be elected to political offices. When I consider a candidate for any office I check to see if they or anyone connected with them has ever been arrested for drug or alcohol charges. I seem to be one of the few who care about this.

Too many children, moms, and dads have died. Not enough drunks are taken off the roads. Judges let them out too soon. The offenders continue to drive without a legal right to be behind the wheel. I know some of you think that this is a minor problem. That makes you a major part of this situation.

If you have never done it, begin to help others who drink more than they should to stay out from behind the wheel. I don’t go to bars. If you do, cut down on what you consume, look for a designated driver, be one yourself, or call someone to get you home. The season for excessive partying is closing in on us. Don’t be part of those statistics. I want to see you next year.

Technology is ahead of the law

August 18, 2024

I heard this statement on the news tonight in a story about information that our smart vehicles are collecting about us. This data can be obtained by law enforcement agencies with a subpoena. It also may be sold by those who collect it. That may be the car company or a third party.

I had not thought about this. Your location at any time, calls you make including recordings, or even conversations in your vehicle are some of the things that you don’t know others have access to.

My wife and I have commented about product ads that we discussed popping up on Google. We have smart TVs and a smart vehicle. Where else may we be that someone is listening in or watching us. We do not have the devices many use to play music or answer questions on command.

The statement “technology is ahead of the law” did not surprise me. I have known it for years. Every new technological breakthrough has been used in ways that the government eventually restricts.

Manufacturers have been forced to make workplaces safer. Children have been taken out of the U.S. workforce many years ago. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration was created to protect workers years after manufacturers failed to provide safe working conditions.

When telegraphs, railroads, automobiles, airplanes, and many other devices became widespread it took years for laws to be ratified controlling their use to protect the public. We still have problems with internet companies and Congress can’t seem to decide on what needs to be done.

If you are under thirty years old, you probably haven’t seen this fact of life. The government is always behind on everything. They promise us everything when they are campaigning and after forty or fifty years in office they retire and have not fulfilled half of their promises.

The talking head who made this statement must not have much experience. He probably still believes in the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, and Santa Claus. We need to realize that Big Brother is not just a reality TV show. We are being watched and listened to when we don’t expect it. That is today’s reality. Welcome to the future.

50 years ago

July 9, 2024

Do you like nostalgia? I do. I like to think about everything I have experienced in the almost seventy years I have lived. This is not a column on the events of those decades I have lived through. I want to talk about where I was fifty short years ago.

I was a sophomore at Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri. It was called Southwest Missouri State University at that time. I was a creative writing major because they had no journalism program. In May I received my acceptance letter from Missouri University in Columbia.

My parents were surprised at my reaction to receiving that letter. I opened it and laid it down without saying any more than, “I’ve been accepted.” For over six years I had been talking about getting my degree and becoming a reporter. My love of writing grew through those years.

What happened? Why did I transfer to Southwest Baptist College in Bolivar, Missouri? God called me to become a minister of the Gospel. In March my youth pastor had asked me to serve as our pastor for youth week. I preached my first two sermons on Sunday morning and evening. I had never considered the ministry before this.

As I recovered from my week following our pastor around Springfield I began to wonder if my desire to become a reporter was what God wanted me to do with my life. Was it possible that Jesus was calling me to become a preacher? As I prayed about that, I asked if I should continue to plan for transferring to Columbia.

My decision was made early in the spring, and I transferred to SWBC to study for the ministry. I thought I was supposed to become a pastor. After graduation, I continued working at secular jobs. I realized that my calling was to be a workplace minister. That is a Christian who works inside businesses with a calling to serve his fellow employees.

My careers in purchasing, sales, and management allowed me to have contact with numerous businesses and their staff. Becoming a confidant and advisor to those around you is not always easy. My training as an interviewer and observer helped me in this regard.

After fifty years, I continue to train other Christians to be workplace ministers. You could be one of those. We are all called to be there for each other and to proclaim the gospel to everyone we can. The best way to do this is through a personal one-on-one relationship. That is how Jesus taught His followers. That’s good enough for me.

Off to see the wizard

February 29, 2024

I have three doctors that I visit at least once a year. My general practitioner, cardiologist, and dentist. There are others that I see as well when needed. I was thinking about “The Wizard of Oz” and how that movie can give me some insight into why these visits are or are not conducive to a healthy lifestyle.

When Dorothy lands in Oz and wants to return home, she is given the ruby slippers from the feet of the deceased wicked witch of the East. Glenda the good witch magically transfers them to her feet. She can’t return them to the family of the dead witch, and this sends her on a journey to Oz to find the Wizard.

If you have not seen this film in a while, I urge you to watch it again, or even for the first time. It may be old. It is still a classic. You may be wondering how Dorothy’s trip to the Emerald City is like our visits to our physicians. No, you do not have to take three friends with you. Some of us may need another to interpret what they say or to aid in our remembering what we need to talk to them about.

The main similarity is in the interaction between the two parties. The Wizard instructs Dorothy to complete a task when she sees him for the first time. This encounter is frightening for her and her friends. The problem is with bringing back the broomstick of the Wicked Witch.

When our doctors tell us to revise our eating habits, take prescribed medicines, or follow an exercise or therapy plan, it may be as hard as getting that broom. Keep in mind that if you don’t follow the doctor’s orders, you will not have a good time at the next meeting.

Dorothy brought the broom and still had trouble. The problem was that her Wizard was a humbug. Her words. He did not have the abilities and training needed to get her home. They finally found a solution. It was ruby slippers. That is a modern-day fairy tale.

For most of us, there is not a simple trick to correcting our health. It may be more than an hour’s trek through a scary wood. We may spend months or years seeing the same or different doctor many times. My heart condition must be monitored at least once a year. My diabetes requires more frequent checkups. Now I must have an annual examination to satisfy the Medicare folks.

What about the humbugs or quacks that we may encounter. Before you make an appointment, answer the questions that the scheduler asks. Be as specific as you can. Do not go to an ophthalmologist if your toe is hurting.

Have you heard about the man who had gone to five different doctors and decided to try one more? The physician asked, “What is the problem?” He explained, “When I touch my nose it hurts. When I touch my ear, it hurts and when I touch my foot it hurts.” The doctor’s reply was “That’s an easy one.” The astounded patient responds, “Easy, five other doctors said I was a hypochondriac.” His new doctor simply tells him, “Your finger is broken.”

America is great, still

February 18, 2024

I remember this commercial. Do you?

I am a child of the fifties. I began school in the fall of 1960. When the decade changed to the seventies, I was in high school. I wrote a feature story about how it felt to begin a new decade which was published in my high school newspaper. I wanted to become a journalist. That was where I was headed.

I remember when Allan Shepherd became the first American to fly in the first Mercury manned spacecraft. I watched Walter Cronkite in front of our TV as Mr. Shepherd took that historic ride. I was there for the launch of all six Mercury flights including John Glenn’s Friendship 7 orbital flight and Gordon Cooper’s final Mercury flight in Faith 7.

The original plan was for the first three flights to be sub-orbital.

I watched every launch of Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo. I saw most of the splashdowns. My life revolved around the NASA space program and the astronauts. When I graduated from high school, there was one more moon mission to be flown. In my opinion, the manned space program showed the greatness of America.

Yes, we beat the Russians to the moon. We do not know for sure, but it is assumed that more cosmonauts were lost during their programs than were killed in our entire history of space flight. Does this make America great? I think that depends on your perspective.

The Russians who put themselves at risk were willing to risk their lives just as Americans and others have. America has never been great because of our government. We are great because of our people. Our government started the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; however, it took courageous men to go into space. These men were my heroes.

As a boy, teenager, young man, and eventually a father I looked at these heroes as people that I wanted to emulate. I knew I did not have the courage, physical stamina, and intelligence that astronauts had. I did have the courage to become a husband and father. My dad had been my hero for many years. He was up there with those astronauts.

I had given up my dream of being a journalist to surrender to be a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. As I trained to be a preacher, I learned that what made America great was the gospel of Christ as it has been represented in the American citizen. Not everyone born in the United States does things that make this country great.

Today there is a slogan used by a political group Make America Great Again. This is abbreviated MAGA. Because of the person who started using this slogan while running for President, many of us do not view MAGA as a positive force. My personal viewpoint has always been that America is great because of great Americans.

You are probably one of these people that I am talking about. How do we make our country great? We must be good citizens. That means respecting others and being willing to work. We must be kind to others. Patience is a virtue. There are many virtues.

I find it depressing that some believe that America is great or not because of whoever is President. He is one man. An entire country is not good or bad because of one man. Our constitution says that our government is by the people and for the people. A person is singular. We the people is plural.

I believe that it is our responsibility to Keep America Great. Would you comment below if you agree that we must keep America great? I would like to see as many of us who are making this a wonderful world adopt the slogan Keep America Great, not Make America Great Again. Which do you believe in, an America that needs to be made great or keeping it great by treating others as we want to be treated?

Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

Walk With a Servant

Category: Tangents