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FIGURE THINGS OUT BY WRITING THEM DOWN? OKAY BOOMER

February 6, 2026 by David Gillaspie

Is it true you can figure things out by writing them down, or is there more to it? Who said, “I don’t know what I think until I write it down?” Who? Don’t panic, it was Joan Didion. I know questions make some people nervous. (Me) From National Public Radio:

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SELF IMPROVEMENT IS THE BEST YOU CAN EXPECT?

February 3, 2026 by David Gillaspie

Yes, self improvement is the best you can expect. What else would you want? If you make a mess and clean up after yourself? That’s improvement. Sounds easy enough.

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REAL PEOPLE FROM HISTORY

February 1, 2026 by David Gillaspie

Real history gets more realistic when granddaughters tell about their family. I’ve got grandkids. Maybe you’ve got grandkids, too? Imagine them in the future, telling your story. What would it sound like? This comes from a comment on Stumbling Stones Of Harsh History:

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PUSHING YOUR BOUNDARIES? NOT TOO FAR

January 31, 2026 by David Gillaspie

Do you know your boundaries, and how far to push? I reviewed some yesterday. Maybe one. As a fitness fan who also likes taking it easy, I sometimes go too far. To far one way with a slack day, or two; too far another day with too much. Here’s how it worked out yesterday:

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STUMBLING STONES OF HARSH HISTORY

January 30, 2026 by David Gillaspie

Last night I learned about Stumbling Stones, or Stolpersteine. They are memorial bricks laid for Holocaust victims at the last place they voluntarily lived before being deported for execution. Our friends told the story of the journey to their family’s former home in Germany, once known as East Prussia. They found the Stolpersteines outside the […]

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NATIONAL PRIDE FROM THE BACK ROW

January 29, 2026 by David Gillaspie

The idea of national pride usually comes from where you were brought up, and who raised you. My sense of things comes from growing up in small town America, raised by parents who came from even smaller towns. The sophisticate in the family was Grandma, who grew up in Dallas, Texas, graduated high school as […]

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ORDINARY MEN: RESERVE POLICE BATTALION 101 REVIEW

January 28, 2026 by David Gillaspie

After watching a portion of a documentary on German Reserve Police Battalion 101 I’m left with concerns. As the story is told on Netflix, ordinary men were recruited into police work. The idea of joining a police staff was better than going to the front. The guys selected got some extra training, then loaded up […]

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THE MOVIE DANCE NO ONE ASKS FOR

January 27, 2026 by David Gillaspie

This is a movie dance we all ask for. HOOWA. The one’s we don’t ask for? Sonny Corleone at the tollbooth, Bonnie and Clyde in the car, all getting hosed.

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CAREFUL PLANNING TAKES TIME

January 26, 2026 by David Gillaspie

Planning, careful planning, is an essential element to all caring relationships. Especially the relationship you have with yourself, your inner-world with your inner-voice on a continuous narrative. ‘Let’s do this, then that, but this before that. And only on the weekend.’ What kind of a plan is that, a beer drinker’s weight loss plan? Nooooooo, […]

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NON-VIOLENT REACTIONS TO VIOLENCE

January 25, 2026 by David Gillaspie

Non-violent reactions are harder to work with once you’ve been on the receiving end of violence. But you must make a decision: Bring violence to violence, or stay true to your goal. If the goal is non-violence, and you get punched in the face, it’s a harder choice. For example:

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