With the rising of the sun, the wall shone in the growing light. Grass damp from the morning dew, and clumps of mud from the recent rains, I made my way closer. As I closed in, I was able to see the etchings, the names. Thousands upon thousands. Each a name. Each a person. Equal…… Continue reading The Wall of Honor
My Aunt Dorothy was a special lady. Naturally loving and caring, wherever she went, she left behind a trail of joy and happiness. Such a bubbly personality, with a great sense of humor and could be delightfully goofy at time, much like my mom. When we would visit, she’d come searching for a hug, and…… Continue reading A Beautiful Legacy – My Aunt Dorothy
Pilot Officer Edwin Amos Paulton I never served in the military or fought in a war and cannot begin to imagine the true horror our veterans faced. I’ve never been shot at or been in a situation where my life, and the lives of others, were on the line. I cannot fathom their experience, nor…… Continue reading Honoring Our Veterans
Sometimes I catch myself drifting back in time. Thinking of a moment in my past and thinking how good things were. For me, it’s playing little league baseball, riding our bikes around the neighborhood, or just goofing off with friends. It’s something we all do at some point in time. Reflecting on something positive and…… Continue reading The Good Old Days
Time defines most things when you think about it. The ongoing ticking of the clock, minute after minute. Time preceded us. Time will continue after us. This is the nature of things. But the beginning and the end are unique to each of us. We only have the time in between to work with. We…… Continue reading The Honoring of a Sacrifice
1/Lt. James L. Knarr, on the left, and S/Sgt. Wilson J. Metcalf, his crew chief, stand in front of Knarrʼs A-20. (Edgar R. Bistika Collection) The other day, I saw a post on one of the Facebook World War II aviation groups I follow. It’s a photo I’ve seen before, but always comes as a…… Continue reading Death of an A-20, An Ultimate Sacrifice
I grew up in Delray Beach, Florida, which has a healthy retirement community. Riding the car with my mom and dad, it was a running prediction that a car approaching in at the intersection may or may not stop or simply proceed into the traffic. The approaching car would more often than not, pull out…… Continue reading Giving Respect
Quite a few years back, I went with my brother and a friend to a local boat race, The Tarheel Regatta. The lake was not large enough for the high-end racing boats, but it was still quite entertaining to see some of the mid-to-smaller classes of boats racing. It was something different, and have always…… Continue reading Have Substance, Be Deep
Some of my great childhood memories included building and playing with Lego sets. These bright and colorful building blocks could be pieced together to build elaborate and complex objects. You could follow the provided instructions to build something straight out the box, or as I obtained more and more sets, I would combine all the…… Continue reading The Little Pieces of Life
When I think of a life well lived, I often think back to the ending scene of the movie Saving Private Ryan. James Ryan, now an elderly man, visits the grave of Captain John Miller. He asks his wife if he was worthy of Miller’s sacrifice in saving him. Although this is a movie, it’s…… Continue reading Live Well
Deep Thinking 