Daily writing prompt

What does freedom mean to you?

View all responses

It has evolved over time, as might be expected, as one grows older and maybe wiser. When I was young, I thought my country could do no wrong, and its leaders– almost exclusively men– were all upstanding citizens. As my world grew bigger, I realized that women were equally capable of both brilliance and stupendous ignorance. Scales fell and my view of America changed. The lens through which I viewed things became more finely tuned, equipped to see more layers in sharper focus. The blissful ignorance of my Boy Scout days gave way to an eye-opening reality check, a growing awareness of a more diverse canvas and palette of colors– along with a certain skepticism– probably the logical progression of moving from the relative shelter of a stable home life and on to college, and exposure to different people and ideas.

I grew up in the 1960s. There was a lot happening back then, and it’s been a cascade ever since– of turmoil, issues and causes, advancements of all sorts– in understandings of human nature, in creature comforts and technology and expectations and senses of entitlement. One thing that hasn’t changed is the annoyingly dependable supply of megalomaniacs and others who, for some reason, think they can rule the world, who spit on freedom and treat it as some quaint notion embraced by all the underlings.

Freedom isn’t everything, but it’s what we crave. It’s not a license to do or say whatever we feel like doing or saying. It is, rather, provision for finding our own path in life, our own voice. The right to call out ignorance and evil, even as there may be consequences for such honesty. Freedom is tempered by commitment to others and to the community and framework given us, in our case, by a collection of forward-thinking founders who risked the gallows or some other unpleasant end in order to lay the groundwork for a place where everyone– at least on paper– was entitled to certain inalienable rights.

They were also smart enough to realize that humans will be humans, and that the long arc of evolution moves slowly enough for many generations to be dealing with just enough misguided, self-involved lunatics to keep us on our toes.

Daily writing prompt

What public figure do you disagree with the most?

View all responses

There are so many to choose from, but I’ll have to say the current U.S. President, hands down.

Daily writing prompt

What is your career plan?

View all responses

My career plan is to enjoy retirement, hopefully being useful in the process. The untethered nature of it is what I like most, though at some point it becomes apparent that one can’t sit around all day reveling in the joy of not needing to be anywhere or answering to anyone. Besides, the “not answering to anyone” part isn’t real, anyway.

Having said that little piece, I’m not ruling out a return to some sort of part-time work. Just haven’t found the right thing yet.

Daily writing prompt

What was the last live performance you saw?

View all responses

The local high school’s production of Chicago. Not as polished as a big-time production, but well done, just the same.

Daily writing prompt

What do you do to be involved in the community?

View all responses

Very little, at the moment. I vote, I support certain businesses as a consumer, attend an occasional community activity like a school play, maybe an event that involves food trucks or some sort of meal. Other than that, sad to say, not an awful lot.

Daily writing prompt

What’s a job you would like to do for just one day?

View all responses

A barista, or a guide on Mt. Everest.

Daily writing prompt

What are your favorite brands and why?

View all responses

When it comes to reviews of big-ticket items one might be in the market for, there’s no reason not to look online or poll friends and family and get some input. Personally speaking, brand names emerge as important for items like footwear (Hoka, Brooks, Asics, Rockport), and electronics (Apple, LG, Sony, Bose). Vehicle-wise, I’d only ever consider a Toyota, maybe a Honda or Mazda.

On rare occasons, I’ll order something from L.L. Bean or RailRiders as a treat. But most clothing items I have are what look decent and are on sale at Boscov’s, a regional department store boasting a wide selection of brands and styles.

When it comes to food, I prefer Utz ripple chips, 8 O’clock whole bean Italian espresso, Cliff Oatmeal and Raisin energy bars, either Dunkin’ or Starbucks cold brew with a shot, Bob’s Oatmeal, Bush beans, Dietz and Watson or Boar’s Head deli meats, Troeg’s Perpetual IPA, etc.

In the wood shop, I look for Makita, Milwaukee, Bosch, and Dewalt tools, though I’d take a Saw Stop table saw if someone gave it to me. And there’s a whole other level of manufacturers that are beyond reach, cost wise.

Wow, I feel like a walking advertisement, talking breathlessly and subjectively about brand loyalty as if it’s something important. This is a revealing exercise– for a few minutes, we become advocates for and experts on consuming.

Daily writing prompt

List the people you admire and look to for advice…

View all responses

My wife, my siblings, a brother-in-law, an uncle, our children and their spouses, a couple of college friends.

In the wider world, there are a few who seem to have, or had their heads screwed on properly and seen enough of life to be sensitive to the human condition– Abraham Lincoln, Marie Curie, Albert Einstein, FDR, Maya Angelou, MLK, Jr., Erma Bombeck, Yuval Harari, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, several historians and comedians, and certain other authors and musicians who aren’t coming to mind.

Nobody in the Republican party, except a few defectors.

And, in a category all his own, the Apostle Paul. Not sure he ever existed, but I like what he had to say.

Daily writing prompt

Do you vote in political elections?

View all responses

Yes, though I need to improve my record of voting in the more local ones– school board, county commissioners, etc. It seems, anymore, that all elections are important, even pivotal.

Daily writing prompt

Do you have a quote you live your life by or think of often?

View all responses

Nothing comes to mind immediately, though my memory was jogged when I started searching. One attributed to Martin Luther KIng, Jr.: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”

I’ve always found certain pearls of wisdom from Albert Einstein to ring true and perceptive. For example, “Weak people revenge. Strong people forgive. Intelligent people ignore.” Or “The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.” Or “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.” Or “It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.”

Then there’s Will Rogers: “There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.”

I’ve always liked the one attributed to John Lennon: “Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans.”

And one from Maya Angelou leaves its mark: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”