Tales of the Ordinary Days

A ride for Lucy, post-walk My morning musings while walking my granddog centered on an article I had just read in the Omaha World-Herald. It was written by a long-time sports columnist, Tom Shatel. Generally, a fan of column features, but not always those in the sports section, I was doubly skeptical as I have never been a big fan of Shatel. I met him once. About four years ago. After a big playoff win for my son's high school team, I found myself sitting next to Mr. Shatel at a local bar. I struck up a conversation. To say that he was visibly annoyed would be a gracious description. Knowing he was likely bothered many times by people who wanted to talk sports and share their opinions, I gave him the benefit of the doubt in his response to me. So instead I scrolled through my phone as I waited for my order. And that was about it. "That one time I met Tom Shatel at the bar." Fast forward to today. As I have perused the OWH headlines in my news feed, I ofte...

Random picture taken from the Downtown Hilton. For no particular reason other than 'life is good' I had a friend once tell me to never trust a person who is afraid to show their vulnerability. The comment resonated with me. I had never thought of this before. We were brainstorming on how to help another friend who was recently displaced from their work. Both of us wanted to help this mutual friend, helping him get back on his feet. I questioned his alliances. I was leery of their intentions. My friend stated it best. "I don't fully trust some of his friends. One I have known for over 20 years, but I really don't don't know him. Through all of his own trials and tribulations, he has never shared or shown his vulnerability. Never trust someone who is afraid to show their vulnerability." Point made. I spun over this one in my mind. This friend in question had shown the same stoic face to me as well. When things went bad, he clammed up. All was ...

My 90 days off is over. I actually hit the 90 day mark about a month ago. Which leads to a small confession. I gave myself an extension about halfway through my time off. I quickly realized how glorious it was to pull away from making any major decisions and just enjoy life for a while. But I also knew that launching into a new career and starting a new chapter in my life would require some more time and planning. Time for decisions to be made and plans to be executed. Time to launch. I have learned a ton about myself and life and much to share. But first off, I believe a recap of the last months is in order... My 90 days off I left my position in healthcare finance on a sunny Monday afternoon in early December. Although my departure was unexpected, I have always had a Plan B. And my Plan B was to take time off. Time to do nothing but enjoy my wonderful blessing of life. Reflecting a bit last year, it was very apparent to me that my life had been full of the crazy train. W...