Welcome to the X.

We all have moments in life when fear takes over and we react in ways that serve to protect ourselves. For example, have you ever been in a tall building or high on a mountain and looked down? The lurch in your stomach is telling…

Everyone has a story, why not share yours?  Sharing our stories helps to bring us together, feel more understood, and realize that we all have common bonds that unite us. That’s one of the ideas behind Chapter X — to create a community where we…

The gift of reading was bestowed on me by my parents. I love books. I have been an avid reader since I received my first library card at age 5—vivid memories of certain books from those early years live in me. First, it was Tom…

I will never forget the one time I purchased an item from IKEA, say thirty years ago. It was a small night table for my son. The box contained a variety of pressboard pieces, a bag of nuts, bolts, washers and a slip of paper…

It happens every year as we greet the new year. It seems we are hard-wired to create a list of changes to install on January 1. Lose weight, exercise more, be more grateful, clean out the attic....everything we’re going to do, improve and change with…

Choosing where we live our next chapter is one of the freedoms of retirement. But there are more aspects to explore beyond climate and location. Deciding on a home in the second half of life is not only a financial decision, but also an emotional…

At 7:23 pm, with a quick slash of my pen, the deal was done. Approximately eight months after my partner brought up the idea of accelerating our previous agreement, I was no longer the owner of the firm I had founded over twenty years ago.…

Nearly 50 years ago, I placed my silver Getzen Doc Severinson Model B-flat trumpet into its case for the last time. I walked away from music and the passion of my early life without looking back. Even my son, who briefly studied trumpet, couldn’t get…