I’m not going into details, but this has been a terrible week for me, my family and if I want to be fair, for the country and maybe even the world. But it hit very hard for this family. I’m… Read More ›
Personal
IMAGINATION, REALITY, AND GETTING YOUR ROCKET OFF THE LAUNCH PAD
I’m sometimes slightly hazy about the roughest parts of my life. It isn’t that I have no grip on reality. More that time has a way of softening the edges of hardest truths and making them less edgy. I seem… Read More ›
THE REAL BEGINNING
As much as I hate telephones, I loathed pagers. I was, admittedly, spoiled by years of minimal interference in the field. We did the usual schtick on the 2-way. Hand over mouth responding, “We can’t hear you. You’re breaking up…. Read More ›
OUTLIVING THE BITCHES – AN OLDIE, BUT STILL A GOODIE
One Sunday in church, Pastor’s sermon was about forgiveness. He asked everyone in the church to stand up. Then he asked those who had any enemies to sit down. Everyone sat down but one very old woman. “You have no enemies at… Read More ›
OUTLIVING THEM ALL
One Sunday in church, Pastor’s sermon was about forgiveness. He asked everyone in the church to stand up, then he asked those who had any enemies to sit down. Everyone sat down but one very old woman. “You have no enemies at… Read More ›
MY BITTER ROOTS
I am named after an aunt I never met. In my version of Jewish family, you don’t name babies after living people. Only after those who have passed. This is not true in all Jewish families. It depends on where… Read More ›
DO OVER – RICH PASCHALL
What Would You Change? by Rich Paschall If you could do your life over, what would you change? Would you choose a different career? Would you choose a different house or apartment? Would you consider living in another town? Another… Read More ›
THROWBACK THURSDAY
Keeping Old Memories Alive, Rich Paschall Let’s face it, there are a lot of annoying things about social media. Even worse than the fake news and memes being spread, making us dumber by the day, is the proliferation of new… Read More ›
SORRY. IT WENT MISSING
TODAY’S UPDATE! I canceled today’s appointment because I can’t prove I’m me. If I were a MAN who had never changed his name, I would be fine. But since I do NOT have marriage certificates from my first marriage —… Read More ›
MY BITTER ROOTS
I am named after an aunt I never met. In my style of Jewish family, you don’t name babies after living people. Only after those who have passed. This is not true in all Jewish families. It depends on where… Read More ›
ONCE UPON A TIME
Garry was watching an old movie, “A Letter to Three Wives.” He thought the whole concept of writing letters was kaput. No one writes letters anymore. We may dash off a note on a card, but a whole letter? “When,”… Read More ›
BITTER ROOTS
I am named after an aunt I never met. In my style of Jewish family, you don’t name babies after living people. Only after those who have passed. This is not true in all Jewish families. It depends on where… Read More ›
THE BEST POLICY
To Tell The Truth, Rich Paschall At times it may seem okay to tell an “innocent little lie.” You may want to “protect” someone from the truth. You may not want to hurt them. You may want to save bad… Read More ›
TELLING YOUR STORY – RICH PASCHALL
Finding Your Own Voice, by Rich Paschall What is the best way to relate something? When do you communicate well? What is it that gets your point across? When does your voice stand out in a sea of voices? How… Read More ›
WHITE SUPREMACISTS ARE NOT THE ONLY RACISTS
I had a major battle on Amazon about a book I said was racist. A lot of people said “No, it isn’t. The author is an avowed Boston liberal.” I’m sure he said he was and he probably believes it’s… Read More ›
BITTER ROOTS
I am named after an aunt I never met. In my version of Jewish family, you don’t name babies after living people. Only after those who have passed. This is not true in all Jewish families. It depends on where… Read More ›
FORGIVE AND FORGET?
I absolutely believe in forgiveness, but forgetting? I remember. I may not remain angry about the things I remember, but I don’t forget them, either. I keep a tally. If you’ve betrayed me, lied to me, broken your promises, not… Read More ›
SAYING NO TO BULLETS: THE FIRST TIME – BY ELLIN CURLEY
This is one of the funnier old family stories. My family believes that it documents the first time being a conscientious objector was used as a rationale to get out of military service. The concept didn’t exist in World War… Read More ›
WHAT A SHOCK! – Marilyn Armstrong
You think you know someone. You hang out with them, exchange emails, jokes, and anecdotes. Maybe you even work with them. Then, one day, out of the blue, you discover they are fundamentalist Christians who believe you are going to… Read More ›
GIVING UP, NOT IN – Marilyn Armstrong
I almost quit any number of times. I didn’t smoke a lot. Less than a pack a day and eventually I got it down to five or six a day and sometimes less. The problem with cigarettes is that one… Read More ›