A quick wish for a happy, healthy and reflective 4th of July! Somewhere in between burgers, beers and fireworks this year, I’d love it if we could talk to our kids about the things the 4th actually stands for. Tell them about the men, women and children all over the world who still see the “bombs bursting in air” but unlike us, take cover and hope to just to survive. That there are still people who would die to achieve freedom and independence. I wish we’d tell our kids that plenty of people from this country and others already have and are all over the world right now keeping us free. I wish people would tell their kids that you don’t have to be born here to have the best America has to offer in their hearts, but I wish more people here truly had the same in their hearts. I wish that kids would know that America is a work in progress and without their commitment, it won’t be around too long. I wish we’d tell them that facts and science do matter and we can’t pick and choose which laws we like or want to obey. I wish we’d tell our kids that the 4th of July is not about taking trips or BBQ or for political stunts, it’s about the Country, not the political parties or any individual. Independence~Freedom~Honor~Respect~Country Over Party (I’ll also be thinking of many too many friends who gave their lives for my freedom and my family’s. I’ll also be thinking of many who are still around the globe doing their best to just live so that we can do the same.  Happy 4th of July! I truly hope there will be more of them… Peace       …..Gregg

I saw a comic book  collector on TV talking about how certain  “Historical Markers” (*Historical Markers* are events that happened in any given time and become an indelible part of a person or event. For our purposes they also encompass people/animals/events that give us an intense and/or powerful memory) made them worth more money. After I was able to get past the whole “historical markers” equating to comic books thing, I  wondered what my markers would be.   Of course we all have a birth as one of the markers but what other things, excluding family things like marriages, divorces, kids births, etc… would qualify?  Maybe these kinds of “Historical Markers” are things we’ve never put much time and/or energy into discovering. I hope that by way of this get together, it will be something more of us will delve into.  So here’s what I’d like from you… Other than those things I mentioned earlier, what are the historical markers in your life? The things that might have happened a while ago but changed you, influenced you and that memory is still  burning within you! Childhood event of some sort? A pet(s) that changed your life somehow? School memory such as an event or teacher? Work? A random happenstance?There’s probably a million more but don’t discount anything on your deep dive into your “Historical Markers.” When I took a deep dive into this, I came up with some really unexpected answers. I’d love it if the same happened with you. That being said, I would love for you to share some of your “Historical Markers”with me. Use the comment button in the substack feed and let me know! It. Ishtar a 1 or 2 things or more if you like. It’s up to you. I’d love to hear the things in your life that have made an impact on making you who you are today, and who you’ll be tomorrow.  Peace        …..Gregg

Just in the last couple of weeks I “found” a couple of TV shows (Boston Legal and Royal Pains) that I used to love to watch. Over the years I’ve just allowed them to fade from my memory into the fog of life. As I watched them I wondered to myself… “What else have I lost to the fog of life!” What else have we all forgotten or allowed ourselves to forget over the years? Friends we let walk off and haven’t kept up with? Foods we used to eat but for one reason or another now don’t. Did you used to love to go fishing but it’s been years since you found the time? Music we loved to play or listen to but now they’re silent. Did you used to go for a walk all by yourself and just think about “stuff”? Life concepts, movies, activities, people and many, many more are somewhere in our mind just waiting to be found. Why did we let these things go in the first place? I’m not so sure that in this case, no matter how rare it might be, why isn’t as important as is how we can get them back? I guess the answer to that question is pretty simple. Just do it. (Sounds like a pretty good slogan for a shoe company too!) That question “What else have I lost to the fog of life?” is one that can be answered! Go on a quest to remember the people and things that used to make you happy and fulfilled and just feel good, no matter how many years ago it was or how old you were. Call a friend who you haven’t spoken to in a while. Use your 5 senses to remember.(Sight, Sound, Smell, Taste, & Touch) Make an appointment with yourself this weekend to go fishing. Drop down by the local record or vinyl shop pick up a couple of records that you used to listen to. Spend some time outside (without your phone) and just listen to the sounds. Remember a favorite food that you haven’t had for a while and then enjoy it! Go for that walk this weekend. Nobody knows how much time we have to reach back to the past and bring “new old things” into our futures. But what we do know is because we don’t know how much time we have, we better do it sooner rather than later. Look, memories like these can sometimes be a conduit to make some more great future memories. The momentum to move forward is quite often propelled by wisdom and memories from the past. Embrace them and use them to form a future filled with more wisdom or intrigue or fun or wonder. As for me, I’m grabbing onto as much happiness and wonder and wisdom as I can find, no matter what realm they might be in. And right now, I’m late for a meeting with “Denny Crane.” Peace      …..Gregg If you haven’t already subscribed to my substack, i really hope you’ll do […]