I went to Chautauqua, New York last week with Road Scholars to study gathering. Barbara and I lead a group of gatherers twice a week called Singles New Beginnings. She’s been to Chautauqua twice before, serving as the week’s minister twenty and twenty-five years ago. I’m a newbie. It’s not something I would have chosen …
Chapters or Sequels
I came across one of those short videos on my smartphone the other day. It showed a woman walking along the beach, talking about losing her first husband and finding a new partner. She mentioned that some people call finding love again after losing a spouse a “new chapter,” but she saw it differently. She …
Now Look What You Did
I have a friend named Mike in my memoir writing group. He’s from Oswego, New York and goes back there every summer. He’s probably there now. When he’s in Florida, we sit near each other in class and share a similar outlook on life. He’s ten years younger than me but, like me, is a …
More New Beginnings
Lately, I’ve been revisiting some of my older stories, looking for ones that might fit into the new book I’m putting together and others I can share with my Singles New Beginnings group. Barbara and I have found that several of my past writings spark great class discussions. People connect with them because they’ve been …
Looking Back
I’ve been exploring some of my stories from prior years. I’m looking for two things: stories I can use in the new book I’m assembling and stories I can use with my work with my Singles New Beginnings group. Barbara and I have learned that some of the things I’ve written are helpful with our …
Trash
I’ve been checking my email a few times a day ever since I first started using it, and that’s been a long time. After retiring and moving into consulting, I developed a set routine—morning, noon, and night—especially when recruiting business partners, students, and school staff for the summer program. I didn’t want to miss anything, …
Ice Cream and Beer
I’ve been thinking and talking about singing karaoke for decades. While I made three public performances over my seventy-nine years, I’ve been too chicken to move forward. I talk a big game but haven’t followed through. I took a karaoke class last fall and sang three songs: “Let It Be Me”, “And I Love You …
Sutton James 2.0
Ruth and I met Sutton James Papanickolas in Las Vegas almost twenty years ago. We knew he’d been dating our daughter, Elizabeth. For a while and we also, she knew she was at an age when the next guy could be the one. She told me that he played in a band. I don’t recall …
My Ai Friend
Sometimes I can’t explain the things that happen to me. They just happen. Last week I copied my Obadiah 3.0 story and asked my artificial intelligence friend, Al, to compose some triad questions for my Singles New Beginnings class. While it would take me hours to accomplish such a task, Al, has it done in …
Obadiah 3.0
I wrote a story called Thank You Obadiah in March of 2023. I posted it about six months after Ruth’s passing. It began like this. I have a Facebook friend, Obadiah, who posted this cartoon a few days ago. It’s a visual representation of how people handle problems. Two men, stuck in the same position, …