Driver

In this gritty, darkly humorous memoir of life behind the wheel, a college-educated East Texas man trades an air-conditioned office dream for fourteen-hour days in battered cabovers, grumbling trainers, warring dispatchers, roadside inspections, blown transmissions, and million-mile trucks that seem held together by stubbornness and prayer. From a near miss with deer on the way to trucking school to runaway drive shafts and punishing summer heat with no A/C, he learns the hard lessons of the road the only way they can be learned—by living them. Just when he finally lands a better rig and a smoother run, fate intervenes with one slippery step, bringing his hard-won trucking career to a sudden, bone-shattering stop.

Paradigm Shifts

In Paradigm Shifts, H.J. Ted Gresham gives voice to those who feel they see unsettling truths the world refuses to acknowledge. With urgency and raw candor, the essay explores the isolation, frustration, and inner conflict of living between two realities—one accepted by society and one perceived beneath the surface. Rather than urging loud confrontation, Gresham calls for patience, discernment, disciplined thinking, and quiet solidarity among like-minded seekers. It is both a rallying cry and a cautionary manifesto, challenging readers to stop shouting at closed doors and instead build careful alliances, seek verified truth, and prepare—calmly and courageously—for the moment when the world is finally ready to listen.

It’s all a Lie

In “It’s All a Lie!” H.J. Ted Gresham weaves a haunting meditation on shattered illusions, moving from a tense encounter at the International UFO Museum and Research Center to the far more devastating rupture of September 11 attacks. What begins as bemusement at a woman whose faith cannot tolerate aliens becomes a darker confession: the author’s own faith—in America itself—was broken when the towers fell. Suspended between the official story and wild conspiracy, he rejects both, yet cannot silence the gnawing conviction that something is terribly wrong. With patriotic memory and personal anguish entwined, Gresham invites readers into the uneasy space where belief, doubt, and responsibility collide—and where waking up may be the most frightening act of all.

Forgotten Texas Jewels: Ratcliff Lake

Sitting quietly in the piney-woods of East Texas a dozen or so miles east of Crockett, thirty miles west of Lufkin, hides a quiet park and camping ground that has been welcoming visitors for almost a century. In the sixties and seventies it was always busy but these days it’s a lot quieter. That makes it a great place to go and relax! (Formerly published on Constant Comment.)

Freeway Epiphany

“Freeway Epiphany” recounts a moment when Ted Gresham blocks a driver trying to bypass traffic, only to be confronted with the man’s intense anger. The encounter leaves him shaken and ashamed, realizing that a small act of stubbornness caused unnecessary pain. The experience becomes a lasting lesson in patience, empathy, and choosing kindness over the urge to win trivial battles.

RADIO!

A nostalgic look back at growing up around Lufkin’s old KTRE radio station, where the author’s father worked as an engineer. The story recalls childhood memories of the studios, transmitter site, Cold War bomb shelter, and early experiences that sparked a lifelong connection to radio.

Idiots

In About Idiots, Ted Gresham delivers a razor-edged, darkly humorous reflection on the cultural phenomenon of the “Complete Idiot’s Guide” empire—those brightly branded books that promise to simplify everything from computers to Christ. What begins as mild amusement turns into a pointed meditation on commercialization, political correctness, reverence, and the uneasy comfort we’ve developed with labeling ourselves fools for the sake of a sale. With wit, grit, and the plainspoken candor of a truck driver who’s seen a few miles of American excess, Gresham asks: When does clever marketing cross the line into something hollow—and who, exactly, is the real idiot?

Goddamn Trucking School

A raw and vivid memoir of life on the road, this story follows a rookie truck driver’s intense early days training under a hard-driving, foul-mouthed veteran named Max. Across long hauls from Texas to Atlanta and back, the author endures exhaustion, tension, and constant pressure while learning the unforgiving realities of over-the-road trucking—tight deadlines, lonely miles, and life lived between truck stops. Beneath Max’s gruff exterior emerges a man shaped by hardship, missed family moments, and fading dreams, giving the story unexpected depth and humanity. Both humorous and reflective, it captures not just the mechanics of trucking, but the emotional cost and strange pull of a life spent chasing highways.

Discover the Forest for the Trees

This piece is a detailed, narrative-style overview of the Texas Forestry Museum in Lufkin and the history of the East Texas timber industry it represents. It moves between broader context—describing the rise, transformation, and partial decline of forestry in the region—and a guided tour of the museum’s exhibits, grounds, and features, including historical equipment, steam engines, logging tools, and outdoor displays like trains and fire towers. The writing also highlights the lives of the workers who built the industry, the role of organizations like the Texas Forestry Association, and the continuing importance of forestry to the region. Throughout, it combines historical background, exhibit descriptions, and reflections on regional identity to present the museum as both an educational space and a tribute to East Texas heritage.

Ratcliff Lake

A hidden gem deep within the Ratcliff Lake Recreation Area in East Texas, Ratcliff Lake offers visitors a peaceful escape filled with fishing, camping, hiking, boating, and quiet reflection beneath towering pines. Once the site of a booming logging town in the early 1900s, the lake was transformed by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the 1930s into a scenic recreation area that still retains much of its rustic charm today. Rich with history, natural beauty, wildlife, and family traditions spanning generations, Ratcliff remains a favorite retreat for those seeking simple outdoor pleasures, affordable camping, and a slower pace far removed from the noise of modern life.