I have a favorite song. It was patched together by Jimmy Buffett, inspired by the life of a one-armed pianist, Eddie Balchowsky. The song was released in 1973. I discovered it many years later – and rediscovered it a few days ago. I love it because it tells a life …
There is a deep sadness I can’t run away from as friends and colleagues I’ve known for years have been forced to shutter their little businesses: pizza parlors, barber shops, pet stores and more. These are individuals with great courage. They followed their dreams. …
Wait! Wait! I think I finally have an original gem of wisdom for people aging (of course, that would be everybody). Like experts in business, entertainment and education, I steal ideas from people who came before me and put a little personal sauce on to deliver the message …
Here’s a fun and informative thing to do if you have an hour. Or a lifetime. Take out a big sheet of paper and some colored pencils or crayons. Draw the outside of a house as if it represents your life. Color your house with symbols, words and phrases that are meaningful to …
I’ve always thought great things were about to happen. Why I came up with that silly notion is beyond me. People around me were practical, even cautious, in predicting the outcomes of various ventures. Not me. I’d take the best case scenario and multiply it by five. Why …
Sometimes I feel so young I need to do a search of my body to prove I’m approaching 75 years of age. My search doesn’t take a long time. Typically, I first look down at my hands. They are a palm reader’s dream come true – so many deep canyons to explore. My fingers look …
As I age, I’m becoming alarmingly skilled at putting off little stuff I don’t enjoy doing. During my hard-charging work years, I lived by the principle of attacking early each morning those jobs I least wanted to handle. I’d get those puppies out of the way so the rest of my …
When I was around 13 years old, I blamed my neighbor, Mrs. Milkman, for turning me in to the cops. She noticed her Christmas tree lights had been removed from her pine tree and transferred over to Arty Jackson’s house across the street (backstory: my parents talked about how …
I’d like to be Nigel J. Wiggins. Why? He guides a frisky pack, and they all respect his loving leadership. When trouble breaks out, Nigel rushes to the fire with unrelenting courage. Nigel mindfully lives in the moment. He’s not worried about yesterday or tomorrow. He always …
I thought my life would become less complicated as I aged. It’s not happening. Personal relationships still confuse me. Close friends and relatives don’t think the same way I do. I can’t even finish writing a book I started two years ago. Work is even more thorny. Why …