Author Archives: site author

This saying comes from my Dad. The same man that often said “Why take a chance when you have a cinch?” The two statements seem to contradict each other, but they really fit together like a hand in a glove. They both have to do with evaluating risk. A good reason for taking a chanceContinue reading “What Have You Got to Lose”

About thirty years ago my mom gave me a paperback book called A Touch of Wonder by Arthur Gordon. She wisely didn’t make a big deal about me reading it. She just said, “You might enjoy it.” It cost her $3.95. I’m unable to put a price on the value of lessons I learned fromContinue reading “Next Time”

Growing up I often watched the Olympics on television. I thought that winning a medal would be so cool. As they became more commercialized and nationalistic I had less interest.  Lately I’ve been thinking more about the Special Olympics. What makes it special are athletes being accepted for doing their best, regardless of what thatContinue reading “Special Olympics”

I didn’t have a TV in college. When the baseball playoffs started my roommate and I went to the dorm lobby to watch a game. A few feet from us was the biggest person I’d ever seen. He was 6’8” tall, weighed 280 pounds, and was a freshman football player. He barely fit in theContinue reading “Great Expections”

The favorite part of my morning routine is standing on my back patio for a few minutes and listening to the birds sing. There are a wide variety of songs coming from several places. I’ve come to realize that I usually hear birds singing when I’m outside, if I listen for them. I enjoy itContinue reading “Feed the Birds”

I’ve been a Star Trek fan since the 70s. I thought the original program, Star Trek the Next Generation and Deep Space Nine were all well done. I wasn’t as impressed with Star Trek Voyager, but watched most of the shows anyway. There was a particular scene that taught me something important. Voyager wanted toContinue reading “It’s My Nature”

In several of my posts I’ve mentioned valuable ideas I’ve learned from reading How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. It helps me understand people. Rule number one in the book is do not criticize, condemn or complain. He understood it only brings resentment and bad will. I’ve also learned much fromContinue reading “Rule Number One”

I mentioned in another post that my dad was an orthodontist. He was also a rancher. That seems like a strange combination, but he made it work beautifully. I was helping him work cattle one day when I was about ten. Working cattle isn’t easy, in case you’ve never done it. I made a mistakeContinue reading “The World is Going to Keep Right on Turning”

The 60s and 70s was an interesting time to grow up. The music being created was one of the best parts of that era. So many bands/singers were at the crest of their careers. The top selling album of all time in the United States is The Eagles Greatest Hits 1971-1975. It is packed fullContinue reading “Eagle Wisdom”

I had the honor of speaking at my Dad’s funeral. I said having him for a Dad was like having the answers in the back of the book. He was known for his wisdom and being able to figure out just about anything. Being an orthodontist in a small town, lots of people called himContinue reading “Why Take a Chance?”