There’s a biblical proverb reference we’ve all heard and that is often quoted as “Pride goeth before a fall” or more fully, “Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18). It’s a timeless warning about how arrogance and overconfidence can lead to one’s downfall. When people become too proud or self-assured, they often stop being cautious, stop listening to advice, or overestimate their abilities – which sets them up for…
For almost the first time in a year, Kim and I watched MSNBC last night. It was strange to see all the familiar faces that have been absent from our consciousness for the past year. Yesterday was a watershed day on this hilltop. At about 2:30pm, Kim’s brother, Jeff, lost his hard-fought battle and succumbed to the ages of eternity. His twelve-day hospital rollercoaster ride going from ER to ICU to Stroke Ward and back…
My daughter Carolyn ran her 10th NYC Marathon yesterday. She started before she had her two daughters and other than the obvious hiatuses while pregnant, she has been doing this annually for fifteen years. She started during college and hasn’t stopped since. In fact, her goal, she tells me, is to complete 15 NYC Marathons so that she can join that elite New York Roadrunners group who get automatic annual entrance exemptions without either having…
Today I am due to receive a new mailbox. I bought it from Amazon. Amazon is not the largest employer in the U.S.. That honor falls to Walmart, with approximately 1.6 million U.S. employees. Walmart. It’s been the largest retailer in the U.S. since 1990. The top ten retailers as of 2025 (by revenues) are: 1. Walmart – $534 billion, with 5,300+ locations. 2. Amazon – $387 billion, with 600+ physical stores. 3. Costco –…
Tomorrow is the first Sunday of November and we are due to “Fall Back” an hour on the clocks. For some, this release from daylight savings time means an hour more of sleep on a crisp Sunday morning. When I was in college, my friend Robbie, who was desperate to do well enough in his grades to get into medical school, was so focused on time management that he would “bank” his hour and “use”…
In the work I do around the house and grounds, sometimes I do something, plant something or build something that perfectly suits the spot. But that only happens some of the time. As much of a planner as I like to consider myself, when it comes to the gardens, I admittedly follow a more whimsical and random approach. There is planning involved in execution, but not so much in overall design. I tend to get…
I have promised myself that I will not write about my ongoing saga with weight loss too often. That said, in the 23 days since I started this new regime, I have already written about the process in one way or another four times. While that is only 17% of the stories I have posted, I heard inadvertently from my friend Steve from Phoenix that he wanted me to update him on my progress privately…
We’ve been going through a lot lately, as people often do from time to time. Into every life, as they say, some rain must fall. No one can fully anticipate the rain and we all live with unpredictable weather in life, but the progression of life keeps marching forward with both sunny and rainy days. I feel that the trick is to treat every day with wonder and surprise and yet not be surprised by…
I just sent my friend Kevin an article served up to me by Apple News. The article comes from New York Magazine, not exactly the gold standard in reporting. I prefer relying on the Economist or perhaps the Financial Times or even the Times or Post, but this was an interesting piece that got me thinking. It was an article about what parents should be considering about the future of their young children in the…
Tonight, I am doing something extremely unusual for me. I’m watching game three of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays. You see, I’ve never been much of a spectator sports fan. I attribute this to both growing up for many years overseas (nine of my first 17 years), and to the fact that I didn’t have a male figure in my life since my father exited our family…