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LOOKING BACK TO SEE IF YOU WERE LOOKING

I was looking back recently after hearing how great things used to be. Baby boomers had it so easy you could buy a house and two cars and a boat and send three kids to college on a part-time paper route for a weekly publication. As a result the entire generation grew lazy and complacent:

DEAR DOCTOR, IT HURTS WHEN I DO THIS

Who dreams of telling their dear doctor what hurts and they make it all better? Me, I do, and so does everyone who ever had a ‘hitch in their get-along.’ That’s what my Dad called the way our old babysitter Violet’s way of walking. She had a rolling gait on one side, what I now […]

PERSONAL OBLIGATIONS = FAIRNESS?

We all have personal obligations of one kind or another. Some carry more weight than others. It’s like being a Cowboys fan because some distant relatives sent fan magazines when you were a kid. And your Dad was a Packers’ fan which created a hard line of obligation. How hard?

GOOD FORTUNE: ACCIDENTAL OR PLANNED

My happy good fortune could never be planned any more than a shark chooses their favorite remora. It’s all been a long string of happy coincidence. Just another fat baby boomer taking up space in comfort and luxury. That’s me. How about you, same thing? Probably not, but check with younger people to know for […]

WRITTEN RULES TO FOLLOW

Written rules started early for baby boomers. “Do this, not that, and do it better than you did last time. I’ll write it down so you don’t forget.” From yard work to school work, to spending time with friends, there were rules. Ignore the rules and you might be the kid standing in the corner […]

HISTORICAL REFLECTIONS FROM WWII

I’m full of historical reflections because I read sources from history, also called history books. Those were the main readings for graduating with a history degree. It also helps to have spent two decades in historical agency work. The lasting lesson for me was seeing both sides of a story and how close things came […]

GAMBLING? KNOW WHEN TO FOLD ‘EM

Call it gambling, gaming, or wagering. What it is is putting money down on a horse to win, place, or show. It’s feeding twenties into a slot machine and pushing a button. In some regions it’s picking the right chicken. One rule that covers them all:

ONE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE LATER

How often does a declaration of independence come up? I declared my independence early. It was a quiet declaration that went something like: I do declare my living conditions to be unlivable. What did I do? Nothing.

LIFE LONG LEARNING STARTS WITH A CALL

Life long learning doesn’t end with the last school day, the last class, the last good-bye. It doesn’t end with a diploma, a certificate, or a license. Those indicate the culmination of a training sequence, but the learning is just starting. Now you find out what you need to know, which is . . . […]

NEW ATTENTION SPAN EXERCISE FOR BOOMERS

My attention span may not be growing, but it’s not getting any help either. I need to tighten up. The big things are still logged in, like my wife’s birthday, our wedding anniversary, kids. That’s not the concern. My wife knows every birthday of everyone in her family, my family, her friends, and her friends’ […]