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Conversations & Everyday Stories
Human moments, funny encounters, friendships, life lessons.
When the Christmas Gift List Becomes a Hostage Situation and Stops Feeling Like Giving
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.
gmaylone
1 day ago4 min read
Connections Beyond Borders, My life of Movement and Momentum!
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
gmaylone
Dec 34 min read
We are never really ready for a final Goodbye.
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
gmaylone
Nov 296 min read
Greed! The Corporate Takeover of Holidays: Rediscovering the True Spirit of Thanksgiving and Christmas
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
gmaylone
Nov 275 min read
The strange evolution of friendship
A heartfelt reflection on why some friendships uplifts us, others drain us, and how age reveals the difference.
gmaylone
Nov 254 min read
When You Finally Exit the Machine
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.
gmaylone
Nov 75 min read
Resilience, Relevance, and Reinvention: Thriving When Life Hits Pause
Shutdowns, layoffs, realignments — they all feel the same when your world suddenly stops spinning. But the truth is, you can’t control the storm; you can control your posture in it. Here’s how to use disruption as a catalyst for reflection, reinvention, and resilience.
gmaylone
Nov 14 min read
Cleansing with Sage! Salt! The things we do for love!
When a friend’s girlfriend insists on cleansing your house with sage and salt, manners meet madness—and Mr. Peabody the cat bears silent witness.
gmaylone
Oct 305 min read
Memories: Ghosts We Hammer on the Anvil of life.
A reflective walk through time and memory — where an unexpected reunion sparks deeper thoughts about how life and time forge us all. “Forged by Time” explores friendship, change, and the heat that shapes who we become.
gmaylone
Oct 165 min read
Recharging in Cabo: The Trip That Reminded Me What Matters
We went to Cabo chasing a concert and sunshine. We came home carrying something better — gratitude, peace, and two umbrellas we never needed.
gmaylone
Oct 106 min read
Planning Your Career Around Your Life (Before It Plans Life for You)
If you don’t plan your career around your life, your career will plan your life for you. Here’s a practical early-career framework: five-year bites, honest trade-offs, and skills that keep pace with the market.
gmaylone
Oct 25 min read
Retirements bittersweet closure.
From soldier to machinist to Deputy Assistant Secretary — today I close out a 40-year journey of service. My career has taken me from the fall of the Berlin Wall to the halls of Congress, but the real story has always been about the people I served alongside.
gmaylone
Oct 14 min read
The Acorn Ambush, Squirrels Gone mad!
After a long ride on the Indian Head Rail Trail, a routine cool-down turned into a squirrel-led acorn ambush. What started as falling nuts quickly became a showdown with a vindictive gray squirrel armed with Olympic aim. Another chapter in the absurdly normal saga of my life.
gmaylone
Sep 283 min read
Our Aging Parents, the Unwinnable Battle with Time.
Watching our parents grow older is one of life’s hardest truths. Their steady hands once guided us, and now we steady them. This reflection from Getting Older: Field Notes explores time, perspective, love, and the responsibility to cherish every moment with those who matter most.
gmaylone
Sep 243 min read
The Day’s Campaign Report
Some days just come at you sideways. From crunches and a 16-mile rail trail ride to a surprise parking lot encounter and a broken mower mid-lawn, the day was equal parts battle report and comedy. With repairs made and the backyard secured, I ended the day reminded that all you can do is laugh, roll with it, and be grateful for the time you’re given.
gmaylone
Sep 233 min read
Second Chances, Finding a Lost Joy Again.
Because that’s the trick of aging. Freedom doesn’t disappear with age, and you don’t always need something new.
Sometimes it’s just two wheels waiting at the end of the driveway, and you just need to dust it off, oil the chain, and take it for another spin.
gmaylone
Sep 225 min read
Bowling Alleys, and Rekindling Fun from the past:
Bowling won’t turn back the clock, but it does remind me: staying active isn’t about being perfect, it’s about showing up, laughing at the gutters, and rolling again.
gmaylone
Sep 214 min read
Gratitude & Disingenuous Complaining
Getting older comes with sore knees, snapping joints, and plenty of grumbling—but most of my complaints are just theater. The truth? Aging is a privilege, and perspective makes all the difference. Getting Older: Field Notes is my honest look at aging—gracefully, stubbornly, and with a bit of humor.
gmaylone
Sep 213 min read
The Female Memory Archive: Why You’ll Never Win a Trial at Home
Gentlemen, let me break it to you: women are born with a biological black box recorder. It captures everything — words, tone, facial expression, the shirt you wore, and even what brand of beer was on your breath.
gmaylone
Sep 134 min read
Sno Fun!!!! Pun Intended.
Story of hard work, small pay, big lessons learned.
gmaylone
Sep 123 min read
🦅 Welcome to Fed to Freedom
This is where my next chapter begins—and maybe yours, too.
✍️ Writing My Story
After years in federal service, I’m building something new. Fed to Freedom is part journal, part resource hub, part blueprint for reinvention. Whether you're a retiree, still in the grind, or dreaming of what's next—you’re in the right place.
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