The Path to “Constructive Virtues”

My first published essays were as installments in my newspaper column “@ChumForThought,” published in the Dayton Review. “Chum” is the word for chopped fish waste that is thrown overboard to attract other fish – especially sharks. I believe that comparing ideas can be a force for good that attracts us to each other. Strangers often become friends as they talk and work together, uniting to solve mutual problems.

The column was intended for my neighbors in a small, rural, Iowa town. I hoped to encourage conservatives to think about their ideas and liberals to come out of the closet. This book, Constructive Virtues, extends my collected essays – largely on similar, and sometimes contentious, themes.

Many people prefer to avoid controversy as they would avoid swimming with sharks. You sometimes hear

Story: Oceans of Love

Information and comments on the story:

Oceans of Love

from the book: Life Will Get You in the End:
Short stories by David Satterlee

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Life Will Get You in the End:
Short Stories by David Satterlee

Reader's theater for two male voices. A raw and hyper-verbal talk show host just won't let a serious gender-relations author explain his book.

Oceans of Love

With apologies to “Saturday Night Live,” David Deida author of “The Way of the Superior Man,” and John Gray, author of “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus.”
Also with compliments to the insights of psychologists Carol Gilligan and Terrence Real.

Scene – two men are seated across from each other at a desk. Both are in business casual attire.

Fred Baxter (interviewer)

(in announcer voice)

Okay, we’re back. For those of you just joining us, you’re listening to conservative shock-talk radio K.R.A.P. – Krap in the morning. This is your host Fred Baxter and you’re listening to Baxter’s Book Bilge.

Our guest in the studio today is Richard Johnson, author of the new book, “Women are Like Oceans and Men are Like Ships.” Richard, welcome to the show.

Richard, you’re a tall man, about 6 foot 3; may I just call you big Dick?

Richard Johnson (Author)

No.

Fred Baxter (interviewer)

Big Johnson?

Richard Johnson (Author)

No.

Fred Baxter (interviewer)

Okaaay then.

Richard, why don’t we move right on to having you tell us a bit about your book.

Is this a self-help book? Are there, you know, pictures?

Richard Johnson (Author)

No.

Fred Baxter (interviewer)

(sighing)

Well, all right, how about you just jump right in there and get this puppy moving.