Sometime after I hit my thirties, people started calling me Sir. Back then, it cracked me up. I’d tell them, “I’m not Sir, call me Steve” or I’d laugh and say “I’m not that old yet.” Today, everyone calls me sir and I’m not laughing. Now that I’m older, I am recognizing significant differences between…
I Want To Thank You
My recent hernia operation was unexpectedly a breeze. Everything, from my pre-surgical consultation through the surgery through post-op and my current recovery went better than I had expected. Part of this was due to luck. My surgeon said his patients who have 2 hernia like mine always report that one side is better than the…
How Could You?
Sometimes when I think about about something that a person has done deliberately that is truly awful, I get a feeling of intense sadness. I felt it when my stepson emailed me after my wife died to say that he no longer wanted anything to do with me. I felt it when I read about…
See, Catch & Kill
Since I’ve followed the carnivore diet over the past 9 months, I’ve experienced some unexpected physiological changes. I’ve written before about stomach issues resolving, headaches diminishing, maintaining high energy levels, and clarity of mind. Here are a few of the unexpected side effects: My vision has improved. I have worn glasses my entire life for…
Choosing Not To Learn
I am willing to try just about anything. I wasn’t always this way. For a decent chunk of my youth, I was insecure and shy. But even then, my desire for something different pushed me to take risks. It’s why I was able to have girlfriends. It’s what enabled me to join a Division I…
10 Years Later
When I started my new job in Raleigh in 2012, the last thing I expected was to make a lifelong friend with one of my millennial employees, Atif. I’ve had work friends before. We built team with genuine camaraderie – sharing inside jokes, pitching in to complete difficult projects, and helping each other out. When…
Historically Significant
During my foray into history this past year I made some interesting discoveries. It seems like everything that we think is new has been done before. Whether it’s dealing with the pandemic, taking care of society’s unfortunate, screwing over the poor, using politics for personal gain, or believing in superstitions (aka conspiracy theories). Here are…
Kept Man
I wonder what it would be like to have someone else take care of me. We have all heard of people who’ve never had to worry about money, connections or support. People like the Trump children, the Kennedy Dynasty, the Royal Family and trust fund recipients from families like Heinz, Johnson & Johnson, and Rockefeller….
Out Of My Control
When something is completely out of my control, I can fight it or I can accept it. If I fight it, I am guaranteed to prolong my mental anguish as I burn up useless brain cycles in a losing battle. As an action biased guy, I want to make a plan, take action and solve…
The Birdwatchers
There’s an elderly couple who I see in the park when I walk my dog. They walk together hand-in-hand for hours. The man has binoculars and a small notepad. He is a birdwatcher. He is chipper. He’s always smiling and walks with a bounce in his step. His wife appears to be older than him,…