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I don’t know what’s more amazing – that I got into Berkeley, or that I got out. I first learned about the significance of Berkeley in my 10th grade chemistry class. Mr. Chuck LaDue, our teacher, would talk about the labs and research conducted at the Lawrence Livermore lab above and behind the Berkeley campus.…

I first saw my brown chair about 30 years ago at the Macy’s Furniture Gallery at Perimeter Mall. The chair, called The Writer’s Chair, is made by Ralph Lauren, and you can still buy one new today for $15,000. When I sat in the one at Macy’s I thought to myself: “Some day” – the…

Since today is your birthday, I thought I’d write about celebration. There’s a line I’ve read that directs: “Celebrate the little things.” That certainly makes for more opportunities. I can celebrate having coffee and conversation with you in the morning. I can celebrate when the phone rings and it’s you. Every time a goal is…

Why isn’t “impatience” one of the seven deadly sins? In the early 2000’s, NPR interviewed Carl Honoré about his new book, In Praise of Slowness. Honoré recounted his epiphany when he realized he was speed reading The Cat In The Hat to his young son. His self examination led to writing the book. I think…

No doubt about it – there will be times we disagree. The success and failure of our relationship depends on what we do about it. When I was working in the airline training department, I frequently got to chat with the FAA representative assigned to us – the POI – or “Principle Operations Inspector.” I…

There’s something ridiculous about the phrase “nothing new under the sun.” For years I’ve enjoyed Garrison Keillor’s The Writer’s Almanac. It makes it so easy to learn something new. But more than that – it presents new arenas for learning. Knowing that opportunities to learn are ever increasing is good support for the idea that…

Yesterday I was reminded of your empathy. I don’t expect to ever be able to write about that. Timothy Leary famously said: “Words are the freezing of reality.” I can’t write about my experience being impressed by your empathy. Neither my impressions nor your empathy, can be frozen into stones. When I drive past a…

I like the phrase “The look of determination.” There are books and movies in my small collection about people who chose to face a great challenge. We all enjoy watching these people win. There are far fewer publications about tragic loss. But it’s the devastation of loss that makes a win meaningful. Ordinary people have…

I have a small collection of model airplane kits. I have early memories of making plastic model airplanes. My mom helped me at the kitchen table. I remember her admonishing me to read the instructions. I guess I just wanted to just glue the pieces together – thinking I could just figure it out. In…

I like the phrase: “People vote with their feet.” That’s why I’m coming to California. That’s why I may stay in California. It’s about the best way I know how to demonstrate what I feel. Its the difficulty and discomfort of such actions that give it meaning. My way of thinking is that loving with…