“The best thing for being sad is to learn something. That’s the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil…
Category: Gary Kroeger
8 Score and 1 year ago…
In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln gave an address at the dedication of the Gettysburg battlefield in order to reframe the cause of the Civil War. Of course, we all know of the eloquent 272-word Gettysburg Address that deserves its place as perhaps the most inspirational call to unite under a national purpose ever conceived. He…
The Age(ism) of Reason
It’s easy to attach an “ism” to any obstacle we come across in our lives where we perceive something inherent to our being as a factor used against us. It’s easy, and very likely, correct. Not always, but when it comes to our own lives we take our advantages and disadvantages quite seriously. We are naturally inclined to see what obstacles lie before…
Peel, baby, peel! (What I learned from carrots)
I make no secret of the fact that I’ve been working, in retirement, at a Tropical Smoothie franchise. It started as a way to spend more time with my youngest son who is a manager but quickly became a way to learn a new business. My impressions are a melding of delight and holy-mother-of-God-what-have-I-gotten-into? Breezy…
Greetings From Springfield!
There is a video circulating of angry Springfield, Ohio residents at a city council meeting. The video shows residents complaining about homeless Haitian encampments and of the habits of the immigrants. Citizens are frightened by the situation and they are angry that the city is allowing this. This issue is a perfect example of the…
A Smoothie Transition Into Retirement
If you are over 60 you are either thinking about retirement or you are already retired. Outliers aside, who retire earlier or are on the other end of the spectrum and work into their 70’s, being in your 60’s in the transitional decade from your meat and potatoes career to whatever it is you are…
Olympic Sized Shame
The founding of America and the creation of a charter by which to ensure the rights of humans to live free and to establish domestic tranquility through laws prescribed by justice, changed the world. A country was defined by a constitution that protected every individual from religious persecution, from authoritarian tyranny, and from taxation without…
What Is America’s Character?
So many of us talk about patriotism and our belief in the principles of America, yet many of those principles seem to be diametrically opposed. In fact, some people who love America believe others who love America must really hate America, at least the America they love. What? Many arguments bring up the Constitution and…
It’s Not the Size of the Boat, it’s the Motion of the Ocean
We hear more and more debate about the size of federal government and what powers have been drained from the states in contrast. The argument from Republicans and Libertarians, in particular, is that the powers of the federal government have expanded beyond its constitutionally outlined parameters and that state governmental authority has been diminished. Their…
Patriarchy with a capital P and that rhymes with T and that stands for Toxic
Kansas City Chiefs kicker, Harrison Butker, gave a college commencement address where he said: “I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolic lies told to you. Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you…