Growing Old, Gracefully.
Stories that help you find peace, hope, and happiness.
Don’s Most Recent
Me and Mark
As many of you are aware, Mark Twain visits me late at night and offers tips on creative writing. I try my best, but I’m a poor student when it comes to matching my mentor’s talent. You may not know that Mark has also been my financial adviser throughout much of my life. …
Stupid and Sane
Without paying a dime, I saw a bare-knuckle fight last week. It was a classic road rage event. Both cars were backing out of their parking spaces at the same time. Their bumpers met. One man, about 40 years old, jumped out of his car and approached the other driver, who …
Highway 30
The older I get, the more my head is packed with wonderful memories of my childhood. From age 4 until 6 (1950 to 1952), I lived on Highway 30 in Ames, Iowa. My whole world drove past me on that 3,000-mile road. I owned about 40 yards of it. My greatest memory was of caravans …
Dewey Birdsall
Who is this guy? At age 26, I’m managing a Ramada Inn in Coralville, Iowa. My boss, Rueben Drieling, calls and says he’s sending out Dewey Birdsall to put in new carpeting. “Take good care of Dewey.” So the next day, Dewey Birdsall shows up ready to start work on …
Tidying up
I was pretty ill for a week or so. I won’t bore you with the details, but I thought I was a goner for the first few days. I’ve never had a fear of death. However, I would feel a tinge of sadness about missing out on friends, family and stuff happening tomorrow. Since I …