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Mindful Living & Personal Growth
Wisdom, aging, identity, purpose, resilience.
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
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
Rethinking the Next Chapter: Mid-Career and Beyond
Mid-career isn’t the end—it’s the pivot point. This is the time to reflect, realign, and choose what the second half of your life will look like with purpose and clarity.
gmaylone
Oct 185 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
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
Garage Days: Where Grease, Aqua Net, and Forever Collided
A look back at a time now gone, when hands crafted machines, and we thought life would last forever.
gmaylone
Aug 288 min read
Hornet Wars: The Battle for Hornet Gate – Final Dispatch
"For weeks, the Hornet Hordes controlled the only direct access between the grape harbors, blueberry groves, and raspberry fields. They held the chokepoint like Spartans at Thermopylae — fanatical, relentless, and perfectly positioned. It took fire, precision chemical strikes, and a final siege to break their grip. Now the gate is free… but for how long?"
gmaylone
Aug 154 min read
Operation Maple/Congo: The Family Invasion of 2025
Amusing Details of how the annual visit of my wife's Congolese family from Canada is managed as they descend upon our household.
gmaylone
Aug 113 min read
Over a Beer at "The Sink" in Boulder.
It was a hot, sunny afternoon in Boulder, July 2025. My other half was tied up in a work meeting, so I had time to kill.
I wandered the historic downtown—old brick buildings, summer air thick with pine and pavement, the kind of day that makes you slow down.
gmaylone
Aug 55 min read
Tales from the HOA Crypt, Vol. 2: The Forbidden Corn
They say if you touch the stove once and get burned, you won’t touch it again. Apparently, I’m the guy who tries the second burner.
OK, technically, it was more like my employer forcing my hand on the burner. Not me willingly reaching out. Same burn.
gmaylone
Aug 56 min read
The Magic of the Mountains! Pain-Free in the High Desert!
Somewhere between the crisp air, blue skies, and the first morning I wake up without my hands screaming at me, I realize: I am hopelessly, pathetically, gloriously addicted to dry air—and some altitude.
gmaylone
Jul 313 min read
Coffee Bean Battle: Rediscovering the Dark Roast Coffee That Both Saved and Cursed Me!
"I thought I escaped coffee… until the dark roast pulled me back in. A story of Army nights, hard work, and one powerful cup."
gmaylone
Jul 194 min read
Amtrak Nightmare: The Legend of Uncle Baconstein!
A man smelling of bacon grease and Bengay boards the train in Jersey and turns an ordinary ride into an unforgettable sensory event. Meet Uncle Baconstein — a legend of snacks, soda, and haunting scent memory.
gmaylone
Jul 175 min read
Off the Clock, On the Mark™ – Why I Left, What I’m Building, and Why You’re Invited
In case nobody told you today:
It’s okay to want more. More time. More peace. More you.
If you're still setting alarms just to sit in traffic, answering emails that should’ve never been sent, or nodding through meetings that suck the marrow out of your bones — you’re not broken. You’re awake. And you’re not alone.
gmaylone
Jul 163 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.
📰 The Blog
Read. Laugh. Think. Repeat.
🔗 Resources & Links
Looking for help transitioning out of federal service?
I’ve curated guides, official links, and must-know content:
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OPM tools
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SES & ECQ guidance
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Acquisition, FAR/DFAR resources
🤝 Services
Need help with your ECQs, resume, interviewing skills. or just want to talk shop?
I offer:
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Writing & editing support
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SES coaching & federal consulting
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Speaking or collaboration for events
🎯 Join the Journey
No hype. No hustle. Just honest stories, shared lessons, and real work.
Follow along as I figure out what freedom looks like—one cup of coffee, one story, and one step at a time.
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