These are scary times, no matter how old you happen to be. Last weekend, I saw one of my favorite cities out of control. I saw enraged clusters of protesters attempting to bring attention to legitimate national injustices. I saw people breaking windows and stealing bottles …
Young kids and old men have something in common. If they have an ingenious trick to pull off, they don’t get too concerned about the consequences. One of my best stunts in grade school was with my buddy, Super Steve. We were playing football on the playground, and Super …
Surprise, surprise! I’m dead. I sure didn’t see that coming. I should have, but I was too busy searching for my missing blue sock. I’m only kidding. How could I be keystroking this in a prone position? I have been giving it some thought. So I made a list. I will die a happy …
Darwin Slocum put up a hell of a battle. It was the early 1980s, and the tiny University of Wisconsin campus in Medford was attempting to stay open. It was the smallest campus of 27 that made up the University of Wisconsin system. I was dispatched from the central office …
“Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson Just a minute, Ralph Waldo. The universe has not been so supportive of me recently. Several months ago, I made the decision to be more social with my neighbors. After living on …
About 50% of total health care costs in the United States are spent on 5% of the population. As I’m aging, I fear I’m taking more than my share. Older adults eat up more health care costs than younger members of the population. Scott, my pal, says we’ve earned it. I’m …
Do you have an evening ritual that takes you from your daily duties to your nighttime bliss? I do. I take off my socks, and I’m a different guy. I wiggle my toes. My naked feet embrace the cool hardwood floor of my bedroom. I’m a free man, ready to do nothing …
Connie turned 80 last week. She’s my big sister, and I love her. When I was a grade school kid, Connie woke me up in the dark. We walked our golf bags a mile to the golf course before it opened. Nine holes later, Connie left for work. I went back to bed. Connie was …
Augie, my clumsy angel, was giving me another one of his lectures. He caught me “saying bad words” as I attempted to button my shirt – a real chore due to my severe carpal tunnel syndrome. Augie: “I taught you better than this. My Boss created pullover shirts that have no …
The South Skunk River flooded the driving range when I was 11. It took me out of my golf ball picker-upper job for six days. But it was grand. Floyd Penkhus, my boss, let Steve, the Hedberg boys and me use his red rowboat, and off we went. We took a left at the 225-yard …