Welcome to the X.

The PERFECT retirement...that’s the dream, right?  Can you even picture what that looks like? There are several flaws in the idea. First, if you can conceive of it, is it fantasy or is it realistic? Is it endless days on the beach under cloudless skies?…

My daughter warned me that my 5-year-old granddaughter was asking questions about death. She let me know in advance of me driving her to school so I was “prepared.” Later that morning, when we were on our way, we talked about her sleep the night…

Walt Kelly said it best in the thought balloon above Pogo’s head: “We have met the enemy and he is us.” Really, how many times have we said or thought that we, or someone we know, are our own worst enemy? Yup, we are often…

As Chapter X is your community, I wanted to share a question that landed in my inbox.  Someone emailed me asking whether women were invited to our monthly Zoom get-togethers.  I answered, “Not at this time.” But I wanted to get your feedback: Would you…

I was thinking about some of the men in my life who have meant so much to me. Some were foundational, some came along to create positive change, and others served as models of humanity. I think of my father, who was obviously foundational but…

As I’ve written, living a joyful life is most important to me. That doesn’t mean I walk around with an eerily weird smile on my face all the time. It doesn’t mean I am always satisfied or always happy. I don’t do cartwheels across the…

I work out twice a week with a personal trainer, focusing on strength, balance, and conditioning. I met her when I was still working, as her space was in my office building. Since then, she moved the gym to her home, which was conveniently near…

For no apparent reason, I was thinking about my high school chemistry class. I remember watching the teacher talk about the reactions that occur when certain elements are exposed to water, air, or other elements.  Of course, the favorites were the ones with dramatic, loud,…