When I was in my early twenties and had just started my first professional job, I thought about how much money would be needed when I retired. Although I was young and three to four decades away from retirement, I believed it was important to start planning for this eventuality. The large company …
Grieving a Spouse
This past week, the world has witnessed a grieving nation: the crowds, flower memorials, processions, dirges, and miles of people walking past a coffin. Although I am not British nor living in the Commonwealth, the photos evoke sorrow after the death of a person who lived a remarkable life. The …
Queen Elizabeth II
In June of 2013, my wife and I, along with three other couples, attended Royal Ascot. Ascot Racecourse is in Berkshire, six miles west of Windsor Castle. It is a circular grass track used for thoroughbred horse racing. Each of the five days of Royal Ascot (Tuesday to Saturday) begins with the Royal …
Longtermism
I studied Chemical Engineering during the 1970’s and we did not discuss climate change. It was a well-known fact that depositing hydrocarbons into the atmosphere, waterways, and soil was harmful. But the fact that burning hydrocarbons in vehicles or for electricity generation would contribute to …
The Budget
When I was younger and purchased our first home, I developed a household budget. We had to manage our spending since we had more expenditures such as a home mortgage, insurance, and work clothing. We transitioned from college kids living day-to-day into professional office workers. Our new starter …
Being Quiet
In 2008, I asked my direct reports to work confidentially with Human Resources (HR) to evaluate my leadership. Instead of filling out a written survey, HR interviewed each of my managers, and prepared a composite report that reflected their overriding themes without violating confidentiality. Before …
Days of August
I worked in Europe as an ex-pat for nearly ten years. One of many differences between Europeans and Americans is their vacation or holiday preferences, as the Europeans describe their time off from work or school. Most Europeans take their extended holidays during July and August, then return to …
Criminals Can Apply
One of my early managerial positions was managing US crude supply. I had five supervisors working for me. One of my supervisors administered all US crude oil contracts. It was an important operational job given the large number of contracts and the required legal expertise. When that manager retired …
Air Travel
I am an experienced traveler, both as a businessperson and as an individual. This year, even with Covid, we traveled to Canada twice, England, France, Spain, Portugal, South Africa, and Botswana. Last spring, I drove my father and uncle to California to visit family, a 4,000-mile road journey. I am …
Athletics
I recently returned from ten days at the World Athletics Championship held at the University of Oregon’s renovated Hayward Field. For track and field enthusiasts, like me, this was a cornucopian feast. For the first time, the championship was held in the United States and thanks to philanthropy, the …