I try to look at life like the shower guy in this cartoon. If things aren’t going my way, I make adjustments. I know people who focus on the negative and, what seems like, their never ending woes. That’s a bummer. Life is full of obstacles. I believe we’re better off when we focus on …
The Stain
Several years ago, when our three children and their spouses were celebrating somebody’s something somewhere, one of them allowed themselves to be “over-served”. As a result his, or her, behavior changed. The resulting misbehavior was cause for some concern. The “over-served” individual was singled out and told they were a “stain on the family crest”. …
Worth the Risk
Ruth and I will be celebrating our fiftieth wedding anniversary with our family over Labor Day week-end. If you’re an avid reader, you know we eloped to Las Vegas on September 11, 1971. We’ve rented a home in Boyne City on Lake Charlevoix. It sleeps twenty-two. Our three kids and their families will be with …
Retired
I retired from what I call my “real job” in January of 2008. I taught for eight years, was an elementary school principal for fifteen, and spent my last sixteen years as a school superintendent. I’ve had a contract with the Michigan Works system since then. During my tenure with Michigan Works, I’ve worked with …
It’s Gonna Leave A Scar
When I was about ten a group of my friends were playing army in my backyard. All such games ended with a battle and lots of fake dying. Some were simple falls, others were more dramatic like you might see on TV or in the movies. Wounds were healed with a flick of a finger …
Born to Be Wild
If Mom was still alive she would have turned 101 last Monday. While she had three children, Sharron, Jackie, and me, she often told me that my cousin, Gene, was more like a son than a nephew. He was the oldest cousin from the Barner clan and the “go to” man in the family. He …
Fishin
Although I lived on a lake for forty-three years, I’ve never been a fisherman. I’ve thrown my line in the water a few times, but seldom more than a couple of casts off the dock. Most of the time I had one of the three kids with me or, later, my grandkids. They’ve all caught …
Nineteen Years
Barb was the youngest mom in the neighborhood, and I thought she was the prettiest. (After my mom of course.) I recall being in her house one day as she was preparing to go out for the evening with her husband, Dick. I thought she smelled great. I asked her what perfume she was wearing …
Not a Kid Anymore
I grew up in suburban Royal Oak in the 1950’s and 60’s. The houses all looked alike on our dirt street. When it rained, the street was so muddy the dads parked on Eleven Mile Road, or one of the other paved streets, and walked the final block or two home. Farnum, the street we …
By Example
Ruth and I spent the fourth of July week-end in Las Vegas. We hadn’t been in almost two years, and we’ve gone as often as four times a year. It was HOT. It reached at least 100 degrees each day. We both like it there. It’s a getaway from the real world, not that our …