Category: Life Lessons

I’ve always believed that each of us should be a part of something bigger than ourselves. Being a part of a larger something adds value to our lives. When we’re young it’s the kids in the neighborhood and those we go to school with. We just like being together. Play is the common bond. When …

Last January, Elizabeth and I took part in a book expo in The Villages.  Part of our setup included a spinning wheel.  Visitors could spin the wheel and win a prize.  We gave away candy, book marks and slips of paper with “life lessons”.  The lessons looked like the fortunes you’d find in a fortune …

I’m heading back to Michigan tomorrow. I’m not the same guy that came to Florida last September. I’ve gained a new shoulder, added two heart stents and in spite of my new hardware, I’ve lost over thirty-five pounds. I’m basically the same guy inside but with different goals. I never dreamed of being where I …

There’s a song that came out when I was in high school called Little Boxes.  Pete Seeger released the social satire in 1963 as a criticism of the creation of suburbia with its urban sprawl and conformity. “Little boxes on the hillside. Little boxes made of ticky -tacky. Little boxes, little boxes. Little boxes all …

I’ve started reading the Eight Dates book that my sister Jackie bought for me.  It’s written by John Gottman and his wife Julie Swartz Gottman.  I’ve written a bit about the book before. Since my last post, I’ve been told that it’s most meaningful if it’s read with a potential partner. It doesn’t differentiate between …

I started writing this story in April of 2022.  I found it in my draft folder, and I’ve decided to give it another go. As you read, you’ll discover it’s a story from my elementary principal days.  They ended on November 4, 1991, when I became a superintendent.  That was thirty-four years ago.  Time flies. …

If you grew up any time in the last several decades, the phrase “dibs” will be a memory that brings up either pain or pleasure, depending on whether or not you successfully snagged that last slice of pizza. “Dibs” is a popular slang phrase used to refer to the first right to something. Sometimes it’s …

I started going to dances when I was in the seventh grade at Clara Barton Junior High. The only “fast” dance I did was “the twist”. Tom Sneller and I were the only two brave guys back then. We’d twist away with the girls while Chubby Checker sang. Most of the time the girls stood …

If you look up Dani’s book, Racing to Death, on Amazon this is what you’ll see. Daniela Daniels was well-known in northern Europe as one of the first female motorcycle racers until a horrific accident took her life on the racetrack. When the ambulance arrived, she was revived but stayed in a coma for the …

A tailor is preparing to eat some jam, but when flies settle on it, he kills seven of them with one blow of his hand. He makes a belt describing the deed, reading “Seven at One Blow”. Inspired, he sets out into the world to seek his fortune. The tailor meets a giant who assumes …