This past year, 2014, has been quite something. I did a better job of setting and tracking goals than I have in the past, and looking back at the calendar, it shows. The year was filled with lots of ups and downs….and as if I were to use one word to describe the year, I’d…
Back in the 1980’s, I was an MP, stationed at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. I was “sort-of” a police officer, running traffic enforcement, responding to alarms and urgent events and breaking up fights at the local Enlisted club. In reality, traffic enforcement usually consisted of being lectured as to why I couldn’t write a ticket for…
Mom was born in 1936, in the waning years of the Great Depression, to two hard working parents of modest means. She was the oldest of several children, and learned a number of lessons growing up, which she later taught me. Mom taught me the value of hard work. When I was growing up, we…
This past week, I ran in the 39th Marine Corps Marathon. It wasn’t my 39th…..(only my 3rd)….but it was the first marathon I ran since a motorcycle accident in 2004 fractured my spine. At the time, I didn’t know if I would walk again….in fact, that was the last thing I remember the doctor saying…
Tomorrow morning, at 7:55, I’ll be running in the 39th Marine Corps Marathon. It’s my 2nd MCM, and 3rd Marathon….although it’s been a while since the last one. I ran my first marathon in 1989. I got into NYC, and woefully undertrained for it. On top of that, I made the mistake of starting near…
For the past 6 months, I’ve been training for the Marine Corps Marathon. I’m doing it for a lot of reasons – it’s the 10th anniversary of surviving a major accident, 20th anniversary of the first time I ran the MCM, and the 25th anniversary of my first marathon (NYC in 1989). A lot of…
I’m sure lots of us have seen the GEICO commercial where car insurance customers are ‘happier than a camel on Wednesday’. The middle of the week is a place where we’re more focused on the upcoming weekend than the start of the week. Thursday and Friday, things seem to go just a little bit smoother…
How many times have you set out towards a goal, only to have life throw an obstacle in your path? Did it stop you, slow you down, or send you in a different direction? I can’t count the times that I’ve set a goal, committed myself to it, made it public……only to have something get…
Have you ever been stuck in one place, without making any progress? Whether it’s writers’ block, losing weight, or moving towards a goal, I think we all have had times where things just seem to be ‘stuck’, with no way to move forward. There have been many times when I’ve sat, motionless, staring at a…
The first Star Trek movie completely featuring the Next Generation cast, Star Trek: First Contact is probably my favorite Star Trek movie, with Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan being either tied for first, or a close second. It has a strong combination of action and character, with an easy villain to root against.…