A few days before we departed our cruise ship, my throat felt sore. This is normally my first symptom of an oncoming head cold. By the time we docked at Singapore, I had a drippy nose and weeping eyes. My wife, with similar symptoms, tested negative for Covid and the flu. We did not have a fever nor …
Longevity
I am aboard a cruise ship heading northwest along the Indonesian coast towards Singapore, our departure destination. For eighteen days, we have been pampered in a comfortable cabin that is twice daily cleaned and restaurants stuffed with more food and drink than one ought to consume. We participated …
Australia
I am currently aboard a cruise ship heading west along the southern coast of Australia, almost halfway between Melbourne and Perth. This region has few cities and is mainly composed of semi-arid farmlands inhabited more by kangaroos than people. We first flew to Sydney, Australia’s most populated …
Respect
When I turned sixteen, I obtained my Texas driver’s license. I did not own a car, but my parents let me drive one of their cars when I needed transportation. They paid for gasoline, insurance, and maintenance, something I could not afford. In return, I had to run family errands and keep the cars …
A New Year
Another year has passed and 2026 is now here. All the messiness of the past year is replaced by the hope the new year brings. After I reviewed my 2025 goals, I was struck by how few I completed. I am goal-driven and normally, my goals would be dutifully checked off. Yet, last year I rarely glanced …