Musings
Other Stories
Many of you know that I keep a journal. I started journaling in high school because of the example of a dear friend. He went on to become an architect, but even in high school he would draw and sketch in his “book” alongside notes and lists. He once told me that he wrote anything…
Read MoreA Hole In The Dam
In 1865, American author Mary Mapes Dodge published “The Silver Skates: A Story of Life in Holland.” You may or may not have heard of this novel, but you have almost certainly heard of one of the sub-stories in the book: the story of the little boy who saved Holland by putting his finger in…
Read MoreForm Follows Function
The Eiffel Tower climbs 1,063 ft into the Parisian sky. The base is 410 ft on each side. When the tower was built, Eiffel was accused of creating something artistic with no regard to the principles of engineering. He replied in a newspaper interview on 14 February 1887: “Is it not true that the very…
Read MoreThe Rent Is Due
A highlight of my week is spending time each Monday evening with guys at one of the HIA houses. If you haven’t heard of Hope Is Alive, check them out. Almost everyone is affected by addiction, and HIA offers what I believe to be the most successful support for recovery I have ever seen. This past Monday, I was…
Read MoreHunting For Treasure
Forrest Fenn is a retired art dealer, businessman, and U.S. Air Force veteran who lives near Santa Fe, New Mexico. About a decade ago, he hid a bronze chest filled with gold and jewels somewhere in the Rocky Mountains of the United States. The clues that could lead someone to find the treasure were contained…
Read MoreStranger Things
My youngest son and I watched all three seasons of the Netflix series, Stranger Things, and eagerly anticipate the release of season four. If you have not watched or even heard of this award winning and critically acclaimed masterpiece, I am truly sorry for you. However, I can easily give you enough background for the rest…
Read MoreSoda And Snake Oil
On May 25, 1992, Victoria Angelo listened intently to the evening news on television from her tin-roofed shack in one of Manila’s more squalid slums. For weeks before, Pepsi’s advertisements, splashed all over Philippine newspapers, radio and TV, were hardly subtle: “Today, you could be a millionaire!” The unemployed mother of five and her husband,…
Read MoreLet’s Get Physical
That title may cause you to think of the 1981 Platinum hit by Olivia Newton-John. I have been thinking about a lyric from the song, but I’m not thinking about what Olivia was thinking about. In the chorus, Olivia says, “Let me hear your body talk.” Our bodies do speak to us. Before recovery, I…
Read MoreA Warning Light
When we left Colorado to come home early Sunday morning, the check engine light was on in my car. The car was running fine, fluids and pressures were good, and in general it was not at all apparent that anything was wrong. My car came with a service where I can push a button and…
Read MoreThe Collector
We made our annual trek to Colorado on Sunday. Sometimes we take the scenic route through the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles and up into Colorado and the mountains from the South. This year, the crew opted for the straight drive north to Salina and then across the plains to the mountains. The drive is mostly…
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