Wow! Today is the Last Day of the Blogging Challenge.

Frankly, I cannot believe that I made it to the end of the 2023 #RRBC 30-Day Blogging Challenge. I confess that each day I began with the same question: What the heck am I going to write about today? We have been asked to share our thoughts on this experience, so here goes:

Thinking back on my words, I am most surprised that I shared so much about my younger days. For some reason, it just came out of my mind and onto the screen. I do not regret any of it, although it was very different from my typical interpersonal behavior. Much of what I shared has rarely been told to anyone before (perhaps with Aida, but that is it). I suppose my reliance on faith has been made pretty obvious these thirty days as well. Perhaps, I was urged from above to let it out, and therefore my choice to share so much is a good thing. All of us have been wounded in our lives, and the psychological scars are deeper than the physical ones. I have had a few surgeries and a broken arm. I have no fear or animus about those incidents. The mental wounds to my mind and heart remained hidden. The wounds continued to bleed. I now see my posts as remedies for those injuries. Once spoken, their power to keep injuring me decreases a bit.

Some of my posts were more whimsical, like the last one about music and my thoughts on comedy. What I said was true for me, but it does not expose any deeper thoughts or troubles. My desire for quiet or music just changed. My taste in comedy has not. I still watch old Monty Python programs. I will scroll through Netflix looking for older comedies. In my opinion, they were the best! That reminds me. I need to watch Back To School and Spaceballs again soon. Any Rodney Dangerfield or Mel Brooks movie is worth the time. Incidentally, when I wrote about my LP and CD collections, I should have mentioned that I also have a large selection of DVD movies. Mental note: I have to check them out today.

We are all complicated people. We are living separate lives doing lots of different things, and yet, today we are all authors and proud to be members of the Rave Reviews Book Club. Our greatness comes from our differences and similarities. It is amazing how often that happens in our lives. In each job I held, I met new people and did interesting things, even creating lifelong friendships along the way. Never forget that life is an adventure. It may not always be happy and amazing, but we still grow, learn, and meet new people. In the end, our ability to share and especially to care for one another matters most.

We were also asked if we would continue blogging. My answer is yes, but probably not everyday. I do not know who will read my words, but as I said before, I write for myself and for God. I let Him handle the rest. Finally, we were asked if this experience improved our writing. I do not know that answer. I have been writing (for work and my stories) a really long time. I always had bosses review my written projects and make revisions. I now have an editor who does the same for my books. While these thirty days may not have changed my writing style, they certainly changed me. I have always been a closed book to most people. My past was my past. That has now changed completely. I do not know if any of those experiences will find their way into print. In the case of my earliest memories, many are buried, turning a story into a few scattered flashes.

So many of you have written kind comments about my posts. I have appreciated and responded to them all. I have also tried to return the favor for many of you. My hope is that we remain friends, fellow authors, and enjoy this life to the fullest. All the best to each and every one of you. Today is a new beginning, and I hope you make the most of every moment. We are all truly blessed.

What Happened to All the Music?

Please do not worry. I am not going to say anything about music today. Since I rarely listen to music anymore, my opinion is irrelevant. But what ever happened to all of my music?

As a person who prefers quiet to having music in the background, you probably would not know that this is a fairly recent change for me. During semester break one year in college, I took a job at the Rock Island Arsenal near Rock Island, Illinois. Actually, the arsenal is on an island (Rock Island obviously) in the Mississippi River separating Davenport, Iowa and Rock Island, Illinois. That summer I lived with my father’s parents in Davenport. I know that my dad being in the service and my uncle being a high end civil servant at the arsenal helped me get that job for a massive $2,73/hour. Hey, it was the early 1970s, and that is what they paid. I spent a good portion of my net to buy a nice stereo system for my dorm room.

As an aside, my job was to take project change reports to the mail room, where they would make 26 copies of each page. I am certain each copy went to someone important. My imagination told me it was one copy to file, one to forward, and 24 to throw away. It is our government after all.

I had a lot of LPs in those days. The music was always playing when I was there. Today, I am not sure where many of those records are. As time passed, I ended up with a large collection of CDs too. Of course, the music changed along with the times. I probably have fifty or sixty CDs today. Then, time changed again. I got iTunes on my first iPhone. Then I loaded it up. Aida loves Latin music, so my iTunes is filled with lots of that as well. Some of the artists I really like, especially Juan Luis Guerra. As you likely recall, you used to have to buy music. Wow! Times have really changed.

Today, I sit here on my reclining couch, with only the rain outside for accompaniment, and my dog Akiva of course. It is quiet now, but I am not rushing to listen to anything, even though I do love the music I have. For example, I have the Christmas album (CDs) from the Three Tenors. Did I play it over the holidays this year or last? No.

I am not certain when this change occurred. I do not recall making any conscious decision to cut music from my life. Somehow, I just am not interested anymore. When I consider my past, the change seems odd. From time to time, I will see a music video online from George Strait and watch it. There was also a music video online featuring Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison’s son playing one of George’s biggest hits. I watch that over and again.

Still, my LPs, CDs, and iTunes remain silent. Maybe my brain told me the sound was distracting. Too bad my brain did not share that decision with me. I suppose we all change over time. I am not complaining. It is just odd that something I loved for so long no longer matters. Perhaps it is a good thing. My mind is free from distraction as I write this or my next novel. It may be that simple. Or I am just becoming an old grumpy Gus. If you love music, I hope you enjoy every song. Just keep the volume down. Gee, maybe I am a grumpy Gus after all. I wish you all the best.

My Thoughts with Three Days to Go

The 2023 #RRBC 30-Day Blogging Challenge has been a real eye opener for me. While I have loved all the posts by my fellow bloggers, what has amazed me most is that I have not run out of things to talk about. As I have said in earlier posts, I am very much an introvert, so one might expect me to be quiet and reserved. Or I least I would have just written a few words about my day. But no. I have opined and shared my life with you all every day. You might consider me a big blabber-mouth by this point. Actually, it uncovers something we should all know about ourselves.

Each of us have life experiences that changed us forever. Some seem minor at the time, like moving every few years as a military brat. Others are major events like broken bones, illnesses, the birth of children, marriage, divorces, and the death of people we have known and loved. All of these experiences have left marks on us and changed us in ways we never imagined. At the time, we move past the event and keep going. The changes to our souls are more everlasting, even if the event has faded to a distant memory.

As I review my words here, perhaps my words seem dark and dreary. Actually, it is quite the contrary. As a student in school, I was expected to learn, if not memorize, many facts and figures. Most of us studied our multiplication tables until we knew them forward and backward. All of our experiences have had a similar impact. For me, I think the net result was wonderful. I have experienced some bad and a lot of good. Mostly, I have become happy with the person I am today. That is a real blessing.

Of course, my life is not perfect. There are memories I regret and others I cherish and hold close to my heart. However, I know the happiness I have experienced in my life far outweighs the negative. One of my great joys is writing my stories. As you have discovered this month, I have a lot on my mind. My stories allow me to lay all my beliefs on the table for anyone to see. Sure, I hope people will read and enjoy my books. Making a bit more money in retirement is a good thing. Mainly, I write for me and God. I am not saying He reads any of my books, but He knows what I believe, even if the story lines vary greatly from tale to tale.

That is the main reason the hero ends up winning in all my books (or series). I believe good is stronger than evil, and I need to demonstrate that in my stories. Other writers have different views or genres, and that is okay. My focus is set and will not change. I know who I am and what I believe. Frankly, that is good enough for me. I wish you health, great success, and happiness all the days of your lives.

The Awesome Advantage of Living Through the Past

Have you noticed that every new generation feels they know the absolute best way for everyone to live? I remember I felt that way when I graduated from college in 1976. The world was my oyster, and I was going to conquer it in a few years. Such hope. Such audacity. Such confidence. Such silliness. We all know that life has a different perspective than a twenty-one year old.

It is true that the new generation leaves a mark on humanity that can last for a very long time. Those accomplishments astound the world. Then, the world moves on and those miraculous happenings are relegated to history. Many of us remember Jack Kennedy’s presidency with great admiration, although he was not a perfect person. No one is. He put us on track to land on the moon. He stopped the Soviet attempt to put missiles in Cuba. Then his life was cut short by an assassin. Our government still has those records sealed. It was sixty years ago, so one might wonder why the facts are buried. I do not want to speculate, but the circumstance is interesting.

Then there was Richard Nixon. That presidency failed when he famously said, “I am not a crook.” He paid for his actions by resigning. Speaking of crooks, it is helpful to note that our National Debt was $475 billion when Nixon left office. Compare that to today’s $31 trillion. I guess we know there were bigger crooks out there waiting for us.

My favorite modern president was Ronald Reagan. He was conservative like me. However, he also caused the collapse of the Soviet Union by convincing the Soviets that we were far ahead of them in nuclear warfare capability. Then they overspent in order to catch up. They ran out of money first, and freedom reigned in Eastern Europe for the first time in decades.

My point is that even these presidents did not change America forever. They did great things and bad things. They affected the world greatly for a time. Then, time went on. Some improvements stuck. Others faltered. The massive machine that is the United States moved forward.

A similar analogy is music. Most of my favorite artists were from the sixties, seventies, and eighties. Much of that music has faded from the spotlight. Young people today probably never heard of my favorite bands, like Blue Oyster Cult, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, and The Moody Blues. Some artists have passed the test of time. The rest did not.

The point of all this is simple. Times change. Tastes change. Leadership changes. The only constant is the passage of time.

I relish my past. America was and is a fabulous country. Sure, bad things happen. That has always been the case. The key is to remember the old newspaper adage: “If it bleeds, it leads.” Almost no one prints good news, yet it surrounds us every day. That is one reason I almost never watch the news. The media is solely focused on the negative. Yuck! Of course there are bad incidents all the time. With over three hundred million people, no bail reforms, and an open border, what else should we expect? Still, in the grand scope of things, most of what is happening is wonderful.

Children play with their friends. People fall in love. Couples get married and start a new life together. People meet with friends and family to share memories and laughs. Neighbors help their neighbors and foster friendships. We celebrate birthdays and holidays together. Those who believe pray for guidance from above. Those good things are what fill my mind. Sure, bad stuff happens. In the grand sweep of our lives, those are just blips (hopefully), and we move on to the next celebration. Enjoy every minute you can. All the best.

When Did Comedy Become a Naughty Word?

I cannot believe I have almost completed this challenge. Muse: don’t fail me now!

I often look for comedies to watch on television. Where did they go? Humor used to be a mainstay of American entertainment. Recently, humor has been replaced by political correctness, which while hilarious, was not intended to be so.

I know some will think I am crazy. Perhaps that is somewhat accurate, but not enough to make up for the stuff that I see all too frequently. I love stand-up comedy. I try to watch those shows and get barraged by some formerly funny person sharing his political views. What? With the nation thirty-one trillion dollars in debt, politics is definitely not funny, regardless of your party preference. It is likely a ruse. Each side of the political class gets us angry at the other side so we neglect what truly matters: The government continues to spend money they do not have. Meanwhile, all the politicians get rich.

I am not here to bash the political class, although they deserve it (both sides). Instead, I want to recall some of the incredible comedy that used to entertain us. I know we have different tastes. I do not expect anyone to agree on every program I grew up with. I imagine you could come up with your own list. Go for it. It is tons of fun to remember the laughter and happiness comedy brought us.

Some of my favorites (in no particular order): The Carol Burnett Show; F Troop, McHale’s Navy; The Jeffersons; Gilligan’s Island; Three’s Company; The Big Bang Theory; Mork and Mindy; all Hanna-Barbera cartoons; Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-in; That Girl; Friends; The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson; All in the Family; Married with Children; The Office; The Red Skelton Show; any comedy routines/ programs with Rodney Dangerfield, Robin Williams, or Steve Martin; and Saturday Night Live (with the original cast). I know there are many more that I will recall later.

From my English comedy years: Monty Python’s Flying Circus; Are You Being Served; Keeping Up Appearances; and Waiting for God.

Through most of my life, comedy has been everywhere. I know some great stuff is still out there (anything with Ricky Gervais, for example). I never had to look for it before. There still are a few comedians who refuse to surrender to what is happening now, probably none more capable than Dave Chappelle.

I really wish the great age of comedy could start again. Trust me, with our political class, we need something to make us laugh.

My Imagination and Modern Physics: Just a Coincidence?

Just this morning, I was thinking about the first novels I wrote. These were the five books of the Dave Brewster science fiction series. First, I must note that I am fascinated by astronomy and cosmology. Those subjects have interested me since I was young. I was one of those people who watched Neil Armstrong, the first man in history to set foot on the Moon. I was fourteen at the time. Pretty heady stuff for a kid like me.

In those days, there was no discussion of modern concepts like dark matter and dark energy. Our knowledge of the universe was growing rapidly with each passing year, but it would be decades before those esoteric terms became common. Scientists were working to find the smallest pieces of matter. It took the Large Hadron Collider to finally peer into the guts of subatomic particles and string theory.

Back to my books. The science fiction world I created was peopled by very different sentient species which I came to love. Gas giant planets were populated by massive, winged beings who spent most of their time flying in the winds swirling around those worlds. I created floes of ice (although not water ice) where the creatures would live. Some became space travelers too.

In the second book, Dave and his crew encounter an insect-like race on a planet not unlike our own. They had created a device called a Hive. Inside the Hive, many thousands of these creatures would work together to escape the confines of their planet and search the universe as disembodied spirits. Hives are also used to move massive space ships from one galaxy to another in the blink of an eye (like traveling through a wormhole). In one of the books, a Hive is attacked and most of the creatures die. Later, Dave encounters those spirits traveling through space doing amazing things, like creating stars.

Today, I began to wonder if the spirits of those not living in physical bodies could be dark matter and dark energy, especially the latter.

As far as I am aware, science has not yet determined what either dark “thing” is, although they are sure they exist. It made me smile to think that our souls could be the engine of the universe. It stands to reason that all other creatures throughout the universe would be part of that engine as well.

At some point, our scientists may find other causes for the effects of the dark “stuff” that fit within their preferred mathematical and physical models. I look at it this way:

In the entire history of human life, we have uncovered a lot. In the current model of the universe, that “lot” is 4% of everything that is. The other 96% is dark matter and dark energy which remain concepts, and also break most physical laws.

In the meantime, I will stick with my beliefs. I think it will be a long time before science cracks the code of those concepts, where the universe came from, and why it is here at all.

If you want to know more about the concepts of dark matter and energy, please let me know. I am not a scientist, so I will not resort to jargon. Or, you can check it out online. I do recommend following the James Web Space Telescope on social media. The images they are sharing have blown my mind. All the best.

Once a Writer, Always a Writer: Fact or Fiction

In my case, that is a fact and a big part of my life. While my memory is not perfect, I know that I have been writing stories for most of my life. I recall writing short tales when I was young. I have no record of those writings anymore. That is probably a good thing. I was no Shakespeare at that age.

My interest in writing came from my love of reading. In my younger days, I remember reading several Tom Swift novels. I have always loved science fiction. My favorite author was always Isaac Asimov. Later on, I was hooked on the books by James Clavell (not sci-fi, for clarity). That takes some courage as they were LONG books. His writing was impeccable, so it was worth the effort.

Through my teen years, I recall writing several short stories. As I mentioned in an earlier post, in my high school senior year, I turned to poetry. My passion for that form waned after I graduated and went to college. Perhaps I was growing up.

After graduating from college, my writing became nonfiction, but not as books. Instead I wrote business plans, capital spending proposals, and even business acquisition plans. If you are stickler for the term nonfiction, I must admit there was a bit of wishful thinking in many of those plans. After all, you have to make the big boss want to sign off, right?

At the medical device company, I worked with their corporate attorney to analyze whether to increase our factory size, or move everything to the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. In those days, there were huge tax incentives to put employees in Puerto Rico. However, our “goal” was to keep expanding the factory in Tijuana, but we had to have a feasibility study that supported our intent. Fortunately (perhaps quotation marks should be used), the analysis showed Mexico was the better option. Whew!

When Honeywell wiped out the management team (me included) of the personal protective equipment company they had acquired, writing novels became my life (along with trying to find another job). The job search took a couple years due to my age (mid-50s at that point). But of course, there is no age bias in job placement. Ha ha ha!!!

Now that I am out of the rat race, my mind is free to write and to wander. Wandering seems to eat up too much time. Still, I write. With so many characters screaming to have their stories told, who am I to argue? When you think about it, being a writer is the most awesome job ever. Perhaps not the highest paid, but still awesome. Enjoy the day, and do not forget to write something, maybe even just a blog post.

A Brief Visit to My Journey as a Writer

It seems that today, after twenty-three days with a lot on my mind, I was coming up blank on what to write. As I sit here, I think about the books I have already written and those that did not survive the journey from my mind to my fingers and onto the page. Clearly, there is a lot on my mind, and there always has been. So, what exactly is this thing we call “writer’s block?”

For me, there are many causes. I will list some in no particular order of importance. First has to be the lack of inspiration to create. Some days are worse than others. On those bad days, I consider my story and decide that I just do not care. At other times, I have lost the bug that dragged me along the plot for weeks (aka What the heck was I thinking?). Once in a while, other stuff fills my head, and I choose to focus elsewhere. Sometimes, a new book idea will cloud my thoughts and attempt to drag me away into another story. I fight that urge like crazy!

Ultimately, my spark of inspiration returns and I get back to work. I must have some level of focus since I have written a lot of books. As every writer knows, those are all in the past. The joy of holding a copy of the next book has to wait. The writing/publishing job is a long march with many detours and wrong turns. I generally will reread my draft several times before I dare send it to my editor. I do not want to look like an idiot after all. Of course, she finds plenty of mistakes. The end of the editing process is still far away and not truly the end.

Since many of the people reading this are authors as well, I do not need to go into any further detail. We have all lived it. But my writing journey did not begin a few years ago.

While I cannot remember too many specifics, I remember writing stories since I was a young boy. They were the kind of stories young boys like: simple, short, and without an editor or audience. I wrote for me alone.

My final year of high school marked a turning point. Like most introverted boys my age, I had a difficult time talking to girls. So, I turned to poetry. The only person I ever shared my poetry with was my twelfth grade English teacher. She actually supported what I was doing! I still have those poems, but like my earliest stories, they are for me alone.

It was years later when I penned my first book (Remembrances). In those days, everything went through the big publishing companies and the book went nowhere. Some time later, my minister introduced me to an independent publisher, who has since become a friend. Between those two ladies, I had found support for my writing. Still, Remembrances was the only book published.

My big break (in more than one way) was when I was laid off by Honeywell. I wrote like crazy during the years between that job and the next. I believe I published three titles a year. When I started the next job, the rate slowed, but did not stop. It was a couple years after that when I discovered the Rave Reviews Book Club. Now, thanks to Nonnie and all the supportive members, I think of myself as an author first.

It has been a heck of a ride. I enjoyed every step of the way. In my more recent books, I have been able to explore my own beliefs and strengthen my relationship to God. What a blessing! Thank you for your support along the way. I wish you all the best, and keep writing!

Life is the Greatest Adventure

Age provides a certain introspection that is lacking from our youthful experiences, in my life at least. I have plastered my younger years on the pages of this blog for three weeks now. I wrote of bad times and good. At times, I forget how much I have changed over those decades. I think that is the true story of our lives. We all started as helpless newborns, depending on our parents for everything. Years later, we move out on our own and create new lives.

Circumstances change, jobs change, and the people in our lives change as well. Having been a military brat, change came more quickly than for most. We never lived anywhere more than three or four years. I would build a new cadre of friends and acquaintances at each stop. Not long after that, we would move and have to start the process all over. I am not complaining. That was just the way it was. Many others have had similar experiences whether due to military duty or job changes and promotions. Most of my friends along the way were military brats too. Some of you have noted that you still have friends from early school days. That must be awesome. After relocating so often, it became too easy to let those relationships go, as I knew I would only be in the new location a limited time.

Then I came to sunny California. After leaving the Midwest in mid-winter, the sun, warmth, and ocean breezes here were hypnotic. I was sold on day one, and I have remained here for forty years. That was a monumental change after my previous experience. Yes, California has grown loonier by the day since then, but it is still home.

I was a true Midwesterner. Now, thanks especially to my life with Aida, I am quite different nowadays. I understand Spanish quite well. I speak and write it too, but my comfort level there drops quickly. For years, we would watch Mexican soap operas together in the evening. Those were the days before drug cartel violence became the core of more recent programs. I used to love hot chiles and spicy food. Age has reduced my tolerance for heat, which is a shame in some ways. It is a benefit in other ways, but that is not suitable to discuss here. I still make my breakfast quesadilla every morning, except when we go to Cafe Jalisco for Chilaquiles en salsa verde con pollo y huevos.

My San Diego family became the core of my existence. Ultimately, I am a simple man. I do not need much to be satisfied. I am firmly confident about my place in God’s universe. If age provides those insights, we are all blessed to watch our hair turn gray, although I do understand those who dye their hair. I wear my gray like a badge of honor.

Satisfaction is a wonderful thing. Every life has ups and downs. When we can stop fighting reality and just enjoy the ride, it gets much less bumpy, at least for me. Now, I focus on what really matters to me. I suppose I was a fool for too long, searching for meaning in something silly like a job. Well, I learned. Better late than never. Enjoy the day.

A Brand New Day to Make New Choices- Yippee!!

I think we all forget this truth from time to time. Each day is an opportunity to make new choices, if that is what we want. I have mentioned how I have dropped more than a few stories when 10% to 80% of the rough draft was written. The reasons were all over the map. Sometimes, I lose the connection with the characters. In other cases, the story turns in ways I never intended, sometimes becoming so complicated that I shake my head and walk away. In a few cases, I realize the story has no real direction or goal. Perhaps they would have been great novels, but I made new choices.

At times, I would get upset with myself, which is never a good idea. Trust me, the internal arguments get pretty heated. Ultimately, I realized that I just did not like the story anymore. To me, that is a great thing!

Somewhere in the past, I recall someone saying, “No problem is so large that it cannot be run away from.” Today, I do not know if that was on television, a movie, or if someone I knew said those words. In most cases, that statement is absolutely true!

To be clear, I do not recommend running from every problem. There may be cases where escaping the issue is better, as it is both quick and simple. An example might be attending a cocktail party or dinner and being next to a stranger who will only talk about subjects you avoid (like religion or politics). Excusing yourself and heading for the hills may be the best way to save your day and sanity.

My most recent escape occurred when I retired at the end of 2021. The company I had worked for several years was acquired by another based in Cleveland. The head of finance and technology knew a lot about computers, but nothing about accounting. He thought he was a superstar. He was wrong. He treated me badly, as though I sat around the office all day twiddling my thumbs. Note that his office was in Ohio. He had no idea what I did. So, I retired. I knew my financial situation was good, so why deal with more silliness? I ran away.

As I noted, running is usually not the best choice, but it is a choice. That is the key point of this post. Our lives are defined by our choices. We may believe others did bad things to us, but still, we often put ourselves in those situations. Making mistakes is normal. We have all made lots of them.

Life is about choices. Choose well. If you do not, make another choice. It is your life after all. You deserve to have a wonderful life. Believe that first, and your choices will only improve. All the best.