It started out simply enough. I was in the throes of a breakup from a long-time girlfriend. I was looking for allies and friends because the breakup wasn’t just with her it was with a community. What happened in the midst of that “turmoil” was I met and re-met a number of women in my […]
Early on in our relationship, she mentioned a story to me that always stuck in my mind. Something she did in her pre-teen and teen years that was unconventional for a city kid, but not unusual for someone with the deep Texas roots from which she came. It was a metaphor of sorts for another
As a networker and random conversationalist, I have a tendency to observe people in hopes of engaging them in conversation. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Enter Rita. Or “Random Rita” as I’ve started to refer to her. She was the woman at Starbucks one morning. The barista called out her name, Rita, when her
It starts simply enough. Two people (or one guy and his dog and a complete stranger) strike up a conversation in a coffee shop, brewery or bike shop. Really? Why, yes, it does happen. Random conversations between people who, for the moments they are together, talk, exchange words. You meet, converse, trade stories and say
The Power of Random Conversation Read More »
It started out as two trips. First to a high school reunion in October. Then back again for Thanksgiving. “Why drive all those miles twice?” my sister asked. Hmmm. Good point. So I mulled it over. I could bring my computer and work remotely as I’ve done before. My clients are elsewhere anyway so what
(This essay was originally written for a friend challenged with new relationships after being widowed. However, it can be applied to anyone who has experienced loss of any kind and is looking to –or not–restart their life. Please read on.) It’s right there. Beating softly just there in her chest. That heart that has been
Having one person with an unusual name is one thing. Having three with the same beyond-the-norm name is different. I prefer to say special. As all three Taffy (Taffies) in my life were and are just that—special. From grade school and up to and including my retirement years, this name has surfaced and meant something.
The Three Taffy(ie)s Read More »
It’s all in how you view your cycling preferences. There isn’t just one way to ride a bike or enjoy cycling. Sure, there are common threads of the sport, but being on a road bike on a drop ride, clipped in a speed, isn’t the only way to partake in the joy of cycling. After
Flat Pedals, Fat Tires, Kickstands and Straight Handlebars Read More »
It started as almost a whim back in 1998. My then-14-year-old youngest son, Drew, said the two seaters on a rally in Arizona: “That looks like fun, Dad,” he said. So when I returned home, I found my first adult tandem in the basement of my LBS. The 1994 Trek T-50 hybrid, steel-framed beast was
The Three Seasons of My Tandem Read More »
At one time riding my bike consumed my days. Relationships were built around riding. I rode hundreds of miles a week and thousands every year. My social life revolved around my collection of bikes. Then things started unraveling. COVID ended. The relationship ended. The bike group shunned me. I fell during a rally and broke
I Fell Off My Bike…and into the Kitchen Read More »
Receive my marketing and networking tips in your Inbox. Practical and actionable. Not too often. And never spam, I promise.
