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Cruising has given us unforgettable memories — but it has also shown us something deeper. Beyond the luxury and entertainment lies a powerful contrast: poverty, resilience, and a kind of joy rooted in family and connection. This is a reflection on what really matters, what we’ve lost along the way, and how slowing down helps us see life more clearly.

Some people go through life with some semblance of silence in their heads. Or at least if there is noise, it is the noise of daily life. I am not one of those people. When the world gets loud, chaotic, or just slightly unhinged, my brain doesn’t panic — there is always a soundtrack instantly at the ready.

Today is Tuesday. Christmas has passed, and 2025 is rapidly slipping into the rearview mirror the way years do, even if you think you are paying attention. 2026 is already close, just outside, beating on the door, and the sense that time just keeps accelerating feels more pronounced than ever. This morning, I did something I almost never do. I rolled over and went back to sleep. I woke up much later than usual— 8:00 a.m. — and the time startled me. It shouldn’t have; But it

This morning, before the day decided what it wanted from me, I noticed a half-filled coffee cup on the table. It was still warm enough to matter.

The holidays have a way of pulling us backward and forward at the same time. Growing up in the Midwest of the ’70s and ’80s gave many of us a simple, grounded view of life — one that feels worlds away from today. This season, I’m finding gratitude in the memories, the miles, and the people who shaped both.

A quick grocery run turns into a tiny comedy of errors when a simple word like “absolve” sends a cashier into suspicion and a stranger steps in to save the moment. Just another day in checkout lane seven.

At some point in adulthood, you wake up one morning, look at your bank account, look at your Amazon cart, and realize something profound: You are buying Christmas gifts for people you might not have had a real conversation with since pay phones were a thing.

Living at the Crossroads of History: In the 1980s, I served as a soldier stationed in Germany. It was a world living in the shadow of the Cold War. The Berlin Wall was still a scar on the landscape — a reminder of what fear can build and what war can leave behind. I witnessed history firsthand: the wall’s collapse in 1989, the tense days leading into Desert Storm, and the complicated human realities that are never captured in textbooks. I remember that night the wall came d

I had lunch with a friend a few months ago. Nothing dramatic. No big occasion. Just one of those “hey, it’s been too long, let’s get together” kind of lunches. One of many more to come, I was sure. We sat outside. The weather was beautiful. We talked, laughed, traded a few war stories from work, and did that thing we all do: “We’ve got to do this again soon.” And then life did what life always does—rolled forward. Work, appointments, errands, projects. Then, out of nowhere

My loving wife has quietly—strategically—turned me into a Hallmark officiant. The sheer volume of Christmas movies they produce is astonishing. If the Marvel Cinematic Universe ever collapses, Hallmark can pick up the franchise and keep generating 30 new plots a year without breaking a sweat. And that’s what got me thinking this morning. "Hallmark is cashing in on the holidays." Because here I am in my family’s hometown, talking with relatives about the way things used to b

A heartfelt reflection on why some friendships uplifts us, others drain us, and how age reveals the difference.

That’s the part nobody prepares you for — the speed of irrelevance. You reach out to check in, and people are busy. You were once on speed dial — now you’re on the “get back when I can” list. It’s not personal, but it feels personal. You see how fast you’re replaced, and it stings. All those years, all that effort, and the second you turn in your laptop and ID card, that door doesn’t close softly — it slams.