“Many of us plan for our future wealth and health. Few prepare for an equally essential aspect of retirement: how to continue to feel seen and valued.” – Jennifer Breheny Wallace This quote opens a great article in the Wall Street Journal titled The Retirement Crisis: No One Warns You About: Mattering. Mattering is described … Continue reading The Overlooked Side of Retirement: Mattering
Category: Ed’s Notes
Protecting Your Time and Safety in a Social Media World
Last week, I shared my thoughts on The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, which examines the impact of social media and smartphones on children and teens. Building on that, today I want to explore two troubling trends tied to the uncontrolled use of social media: the way low-quality content quietly consumes vast amounts of our … Continue reading Protecting Your Time and Safety in a Social Media World
The Relationship Recession and the Rise of Singlehood
There is a trend lately of offering money to women to have babies as a way to solve the declining natality rate. After decades of maltreatment against women at home and in the workplace, schemes like offering money—ideas mostly proposed by men—will not solve anything. I don’t know about you, but if I were a … Continue reading The Relationship Recession and the Rise of Singlehood
A Thanksgiving Reminder: Give, Be Present, Love Deeply
"You only have what you give. It's by spending yourself that you become rich.” - Isabel Allende This Thursday we celebrate Thanksgiving in the United States, and I know that other countries celebrate a day of thanksgiving at various times throughout the year. Thanksgiving Day in the United States is a day to be thankful … Continue reading A Thanksgiving Reminder: Give, Be Present, Love Deeply
The Dark Chocolate Myth
Most of you who read my "About Me” page know that I have a degree in Chemistry. I didn’t pursue Chemistry as a profession in the Army because they don’t do the kind of Chemistry I was used to—laboratory work, scientific experimentation, etc. Later in my career, I thought about transferring to an area of … Continue reading The Dark Chocolate Myth
When a Story Finally Finds Its Moment
I read an article this weekend in The Wall Street Journal and immediately thought about all my writer friends in my WordPress community. It’s a story of never giving up and of writing without worrying where your words will land. Maybe one day your book will be discovered and become a hit—but the writing journey … Continue reading When a Story Finally Finds Its Moment
An Hour with Surviving Sue
Early this year, I read a wonderful book written by Dr. Vicki Atkinson titled Surviving Sue, and you can read what I wrote about her book here. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend an event sponsored by the Cultural and Performing Arts Department of Harper College in Chicago’s northwest area. I spent a little … Continue reading An Hour with Surviving Sue
Printers Row Lit Fest 2025
As I was reviewing today’s post, I realized that today marks my 2nd year of blogging. I can’t believe it’s already been two years. I guess my trip to the Printers Row Lit Fest in Chicago, Illinois, on Saturday turned out to be my 2nd Blogniversary celebration. I didn’t plan it that way, but it … Continue reading Printers Row Lit Fest 2025
Book Bans Hurt Education
This is not the first time I’ve commented on book banning in this country and my frustration with this insanity. Trying to change history or pretending that current events are not occurring by banning books is not going to succeed now, just as it didn’t succeed during the many attempts in the past. To this … Continue reading Book Bans Hurt Education
How much coffee is too much?
Well, that’s a good question. I think the more, the better, but a few bloggers know that I reach my limit when my left eye starts twitching. When that happens, I usually stop drinking until the next day. I read a good article with the same title in The Economist that discusses the subject. It seems like … Continue reading How much coffee is too much?
Thoughts about leadership, history, and more 