broken? "Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;" The third line in W.B. Yeats' The Second Coming is playing on repeat in my head. That makes some sense, given the times we live in today are not unlike 1919 when he wrote the poem. Russia was in turmoil, technology was shifting rapidly, political and economic systems were out of control. Eventually, things did fall apart. And then like Japanese Kintsugi pottery, people mended the cracks in the world, sometimes with gold, sometimes with...
12 days ago • 1 min read
funny? Falling flat, losing your balance, possibly suffering injury or at least a bruised ego. How could that be funny? Years ago I tried to lighten up a professional trade conference. I pulled out a t-shirt cannon and watched the fabric missiles sail over the audience's heads and to the back row. It was a terrible idea. Not because anyone was hurt, but because the joke didn't land. The room was silent. What on earth was I thinking? I moved on and hoped that it might be forgotten. But then,...
14 days ago • 1 min read
what are you writing now? Would you like to read a preview? If you haven't had the time yet to read "Chasing Lights", don't worry, this is not part of a sequel so there won't be any crucial plot points to miss. I've been tinkering with a new book and if you are looking for a little summer escapist reading, the chapter below might be a fun diversion. Keep chasing lights. Gunnar Pre-Check “Logan is dead.” A voice without emotion on the phone—a news report from an airport terminal. Amy could...
21 days ago • 7 min read
is this foreign? I noticed a simple menu card. Is it Swiss? Is it New York, Polynesian, or French cuisine? Or should I call it Japanese since I saw it in a Tokyo hotel translated for the convenience of their guests? I see cards like this in a lot of places in different languages. Familiar dishes from around the world, all cohabitating at the same table. These dishes are familiar. Common and easy to find in Iowa, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Australia, India, Brazil, Canada, Russia, or even Japan....
29 days ago • 1 min read
don't fall in love with a building. A smart real estate investor once told me an essential counter-intuitive rule - don't fall in love with a building. He pointed out that focusing on perfect architecture, the grace of an arch, an elaborate facade, or a pleasing balance was to miss the point. A building can be beautiful or ugly, but at the end of the day, it is just a container. What's inside determines value. The people that live or work there, that's what counts. Some of the ugliest...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
am I good? Can a person not hurt others...ever? Is it possible to always do the right, or at least avoid the wrong? Or failing that, can the hurt be kept to oneself? I try to be 'nice', but that doesn't prevent darkness. Just as the foundations of a beautiful bridge has grime and rust, so does my soul. I've been kind and thoughtful, but I've also hurt. Is it possible to live without causing some level of suffering somewhere? I eat food that once lived. I have talked when I should have...
2 months ago • 1 min read
what does it feel like to publish? A book published. Mission accomplished and proof of value in a perfect case-bound hardback with a bio photo in the back. It feels different from the way I imagined it. It's not like winning a race, arms over head as the ribbon breaks across the chest. Nor does it feel like a completion...just somewhere farther along. At the NYC book launch event last week, I looked up after signing a book, hoping my signature wouldn't smudge, and realized this was just like...
3 months ago • 1 min read
when do I get to the top? I have climbed a few mountains - not tall enough for specialized gear and oxygen tanks, but climbing nonetheless. Growing up in Alaska, there were more than a few peaks to explore. Looking up at mountains from below, I imagine what it must be like on top, to sit on the knife's edge and see the world spread out below. But after clambering upward for a few hours to see for myself, it rarely feels quite like being "on top of the world". More often than not, a top is...
3 months ago • 1 min read
summer begins. For me, Memorial Day weekend and the start of summer this year was mostly wet. Was it a disappointment? Maybe. Rain delays disrupt the game and we are forced to wait it out. Summer days are supposed to overflow with sunshine. But do you remember delight as you jumped from puddle to puddle in rubber boots? Or huddling close under a too small umbrella? What about that golden sound of rain drops hitting a tin roof? I'll never forget riding through a rainstorm in a friend's...
3 months ago • 1 min read