I often think I am 100% right. My way is the best way. I have insight. I understand things (that you don’t). I’m a genius. But the older I get, the more open I’ve become to trying a different way.
Author: Steve Ainslie
Clearing Out My Head
My mind is often packed with thoughts. I think about the past, the present and the future. I think about friends, relatives, neighbors and strangers. I think about myself – a lot. I think about my deceased wife. I think about dying. I think about politics. I think about philosophy. I think about exercise. I think about my dogs. I think about the pets…
Going Down Fighting
Getting old sucks sometimes. Illness, disease, years of mistreating our bodies, poor diets and deliterious lifestyles catch up to us. I saw it in my wife. As she grew older, her health declined due to smoking, disease, diet and more than her fair share of random serious conditions. I see it with other retirees at…
It’s All In My Head
At some point today, everything was wonderful. I woke feeling refreshed, was in the midst of a stellar workout, the sun was shining, it was warm and all was good in my world. A few hours later, I was full of self-pity thinking “Is this it? Is this what my life has become? Is the…
Final Resting Spot
Sometime during the past few months, I came to the realization that I’m home and I’m not leaving. Every time I do something to my house – replace all the doorknobs, stain the cabinets, install new locks – I fall a little more in love with my home. I have even stopped fantasizing about moving…
Turning Around A Bad Day
I had a rough morning last week. I had stomach pain and digestion issues from overeating the previous night. I stepped on the scale and saw I gained 3 lbs in a week. My right shoulder has been injured for months. It is painful and limiting and taking a long time to heal. I didn’t…
Chasing the Soccer Ball
When my stepson was little, he played organized soccer briefly. Whenever the ball was in play, every kid on the field would run straight to the ball and try to kick it toward the goal. Even the goalies would abandon their position to chase the ball. As a result, soccer games were a great way to…
Mr. Ainslie’s Neighborhood
I was feeling sorry for myself thinking how I don’t fit it anywhere. I retired early making me 20 years younger than most of my retirement peers. I’m a widower who lives alone with his dogs in a family friendly suburban neighborhood. I have few close friends nearby and my only family live far away. …
No Mask No Mas
60 days after being fully vaccinated, I have stopped wearing a face mask completely. My state, following CDC guidelines said several weeks ago that masks were no longer recommended if you were fully vaccinated so mask mandates have slowly been fading away. My only public contact is at the pool, the vet, the grocery store…
You Won’t Find Your Answers On The Internet
Sometimes when I am bored, lonely or tired, I’ll browse the internet looking for thoughtful discourse and insightful essays. I almost never find it.