Afloat on an Ocean of Kindness
Jul 21, 2022 by Larry Jordan
For the past 30 years, I spent most of my time with the mayors and council members that I worked for and with the investment bankers and securities lawyers that I worked with.
The Importance of Everyday Encounters
Jul 21, 2022 by Larry Jordan
Over the holidays, two passengers on my VA route died. Another driver discovered one of them, and our coordinator reminded us that we are among the few people that our less mobile and more isolated passengers ever see.
In Praise of Small Talk
Jul 21, 2022 by Larry Jordan
The Desert Fathers sought silence and avoided chatter, and the Buddhists wrote about our chattering “monkey minds.” It is often more helpful to listen than to speak, but “small talk” has its place.
"I Talk to People All Day."
Jul 21, 2022 by Larry Jordan
Last week, a mutual friend introduced me to a disabled veteran who makes leather goods. Every day, he displays his handiwork at a small table in the cafeteria at the VA clinic.
My Daughter Wrote Me a Poem
Jul 21, 2022 by Larry Jordan
Our daughter, Lauren, is well known for her thoughtful “care packages,” which she regularly sends to family and friends. Her packages are so personalized that if her husband, Bear, cannot guess the recipient by examining the contents, then she starts all over again.
Plenty of Problems or Problems of Plenty
Jul 21, 2022 by Larry Jordan
I was always a worrier, which was more helpful to me when we were raising kids and working for a living than it is now that we are retired.
You are the Only Person for the Job
Jul 21, 2022 by Larry Jordan
Every Tuesday, Jill and I volunteer at Cook Children’s Medical Center, playing with sick kids and their siblings in the Neurology and Orthopedics waiting room. This week, my Lovely Wife had a conflict, so I went alone.
"I'm Glad You're Here."
Jul 21, 2022 by Larry Jordan
There is something pure and refreshing about giving my time, rather than selling my time, and more people thanked me in three months of volunteering than in 30 years of working.
The Realer World
Jul 21, 2022 by Larry Jordan
Some people stop living, figuratively or even literally, when they stop working. I think this is more likely when retirement is a surprise, due to a disability or a layoff. For me, there was no boredom and no sense of anxiety or loss or remorse.
We Have Met the Enemy, and He is Us
Jul 21, 2022 by Larry Jordan
After working for 30 years, we have retirement savings, but we do not have any income from annuities or disabilities or pensions or social security or unemployment.
What I Learned When My Portfolio Burst into Flames... Twice
Jul 21, 2022 by Larry Jordan
There are some things that we have to learn the hard way. Most important, money is a means to an end, not an end in itself.
My Adventures with Your Money
Jul 21, 2022 by Larry Jordan
My most memorable stock trades involved margin loans, which are borrowed monies.
My Best (and Worst) Stock Trade
Jul 21, 2022 by Larry Jordan
When I had a few hundred dollars to invest, I was a pillar of respectability and virtue. Every dollar was a part of our future, and every stock was a piece of the American dream.
Travel" Ecuador "Thanks for Traveling with Us."
Jul 21, 2022 by Larry Jordan
If I learned anything in my life, it's that everyone is related and everything is connected. If I know that and live it, then I don't really need to know anything else.
Travel: Ecuador "Yes. Both... and. Like Life."
Jul 21, 2022 by Larry Jordan
Sure, my posts have been contradictory: Are we feeling joy or enduring suffering? Are we holding on or losing control? Are we in danger or are we secure? Are we sick or are we well?
Travel: Ecuador "Through the Glass Darkly"
Jul 21, 2022 by Larry Jordan
When we travel abroad, we see clean clothes, manicured lawns, and modern buildings, and we think, "Small world. Looks just like home." But, the clothes may be washed in the river, the lawns may be cut with machetes, and the buildings may be empty shells.
Travel: Ecuador "Love in the Time of COVID"
Jul 18, 2022 by Larry Jordan
Jill was diagnosed with COVID before we were meant to board our flight home. The hotel was full, so we shared a room, but we distanced and masked, even as we slept. Then, for five days, we stayed in separate rooms.
Travel: Ecuador "An Uncurated Trip"
Jul 18, 2022 by Larry Jordan
Until we reached Guayaquil, our trip was curated by a guide who handled things and controlled our experience. Once the guide dropped us at the hotel, we curated our own experience.
Travel: Ecuador "Be Careful Out There"
Jul 18, 2022 by Larry Jordan
In 2022, we went to the Galapagos Islands with Lindblad Expeditions/National Geographic. This was supposed to be the safest trip in the world. After all, we were at sea, avoiding people and observing wildlife. We postponed the trip for three years, until COVID abated.
Travel: Ghana "What is the Problem?"
Jul 18, 2022 by Larry Jordan
Ten years ago, we were teaching school in Ghana. Jill got an infection from a bug bite, she became feverish, and her arm swelled to twice its normal size.
