I thought of labeling this blog, "Looking Forward, Looking Back." Yet, I avoid looking back. Looking ahead always seems the best way. That causes me to shake off my mother's saying, "Learn from your mistakes."

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Different things make people proud. It is great to see a son graduate from college. Really great! Pride also comes when the puppy catches the ball in mid air. It is a different kind of pride, of course! It is also a good day when a friend accomplishes something special.

My friend, Jerry Harman, a usual resident of Franklin, North Carolina, e-mailed me from Scotland

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I'm feeling a southern book coming on. Working on my new show, "The History of North Carolina in 45-Minutes" has taken me back to the way things were. It has left me furiously jotting down notes about old memories, recollections of conversations, and fun-facts that seem to pop out of my brain and off the pages of books that I have flipped through.

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