fiction
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THE LIZARD, THE WITCH AND THE FALSE CONFESSION
Photo: This headless lizard was dropped by a hawk on the pavement in front of me as I entered the pool. Foreshadowing? Recently, I went to a new pool to swim laps. I saw that Lane #3 was empty, so I got in and began swimming. Halfway down, a big guy began powering straight at… Read more
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MIND HOARDERS
I encountered this ‘ESTATE SALE’ on my morning walk. It was all unusable junk: lice-laden sofas, broken chairs, rusted weights from ancient barbells, cheap, bent silverware and clothes so stained and dog-haired, I’d be embarrassed to put them on a hangar. The nicest item was the white tent, which at first I mistook for a… Read more
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STRAIGHTEN UP AND FLY RIGHT!
When I was a kid, my grandmother often said, “Straighten up and fly right!” It meant pull your shoulders back and act proud to be who you are. When I was a teenager and she said it, I came up with this flippant reply: “People don’t fly. So, I don’t need to straighten up!” If… Read more
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GET OUT OF THE GOLDILOCKS ZONE!
Recently, a woman emailed me saying she loved my book about Alzheimer’s, but thought it needed ‘more attention.’ She said she was a marketer and had a 6-step plan that would boost “Kissing Tomatoes” in the ratings. She even quoted passages from the book along with snippets of actual reviews from my readers. I was… Read more
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THANKS MOM
It is hard to believe that the young woman in this photo, a Smith College graduate, would spend the last decades of her life pushing a shopping cart filled with junk and sleeping in a baseball dugout. Such was the journey of my mother pictured above. It is only now I realize that the greatest… Read more
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master of your fate?
“The first 12 years of retirement should be the richest, fullest, most intentional years of your life. Not the most cautious. Not the most careful. The most alive.” That’s Dan Haylett’s advice in, “Your 12 good years.” If only that worked for everyone. Today, as I push my cart towards the automatic doors at the… Read more
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FINDING THE SWEET SPOT
Recently, a player saw this paddle and said, “Wow, that guy sure hits the sweet spot.” I checked out my own and realized it’s not nearly as defined. Finding the ‘sweet spot’ (“The optimal point that produces the best possible result.”) takes focus, practice, consistency and a relaxed approach. You can’t just hit one great… Read more
Advice, Commentary, fiction, Humor, Inspiration, life, Nature, Philosophy, Pickleball, SPORTS, Sweet Spot, travel, writing, Zen -
YOU OLD PEOPLE!
A couple times a week, I go to the gym to lift some light weights. (Apparently, bearing my own weight is not enough.) I do 3 sets, 8 reps each, on 5 machines. Each set takes about 30 seconds which means 15 minutes total, because I don’t dally. I’m alone in this endeavor, however. The vast majority here… Read more
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CRY BABY, CRY!
I took this picture in my doctor’s waiting room because it made me sad. Even older people sit on their phones silently scrolling. We don’t talk to each other anymore. For someone who didn’t cry much as a kid, I’ve made up for it in adulthood. These days tears spill from my eyes, often over… Read more
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EN GARDE!
These medieval fencers are a regular sight at my local park. Watching them thrust and parry reminds me of lovers quarreling. But here’s the difference: fencers wear protective gear. Lovers have no such protection. When they go at each other, they are often defenseless. And just because men have 25% thicker skin than women does not make… Read more
AGEFULLY AGING 