Tony Hurt

When I was a kid in the 1960s, Saturday mornings had a sound and a smell that you do not forget. I could be half-awake, still warm under the covers, still drifting in that soft space between dreaming and daylight, and my senses would start waking up before my feet ever touched the floor.

I read something today that said, “Do not focus on the past. Just live in the moment and do not worry about the future.” I get the idea, but I flat out do not agree with it. All of our memories live in the past. That is where our parents and grandparents are. That is

Years ago, one of the things a lot of us Todd Countians looked forward to was the annual fair over in Hopkinsville. Sure, there were rides, exhibits, and plenty of good food, but for many of us, the biggest attraction was the country music concerts. Some of the biggest names in country music came through

I remember back in the early ’80s, I was living in Todd County and had just gotten into my pickup, fixing to head to town, when a song came on the radio called “Swingin’.” I remember thinking to myself, “Who is that? I’ve never heard a voice quite like that before.” Little did I know that one day our paths would cross, and I’d get to know the man behind that voice.

Alex was twelve years old when he came into our lives from Latvia. I can only imagine how nervous and uncertain he must have been about what his new life would be like. He was leaving behind everything familiar and entering a new country, a new home, and a new family. But from the very

Some people come into your life so early that you cannot remember the first time you saw them. They were just always there, standing somewhere in the background of your childhood, steady as an old fence post and strong as the ground under your feet. That was him. To me, he was perfect. Not perfect

You know how certain things in life stay with you, no matter how many years go by? They settle somewhere deep inside you and become tied to a place, a time, and a feeling you never really lose. For me, one of those things was an old barn sitting on the curve just down from

There was a time when we lived on Allegre Road in Todd County, and to me, that little stretch of road held a whole world. Back then, I had a horse, a little freedom, and all the time in the world, or so it seemed. One of my favorite things to do was climb up

I was listening to Fire and Rain by James Taylor the other day, and two lines grabbed me and wouldn’t let go: “I’ve seen lonely times when I could not find a friend,” “but I’ve always thought I’d see you again.” The older I get, the more I realize that’s not just a lyric. That’s real life.

Bob Seger sang a line in his song Against the Wind that says, “it seems like yesterday but it was long ago.” That one line fits Todd County memories better than anything I have ever heard. One moment I am sitting here today, and the next I am daydreaming that I am back on a gravel road with the