It was the day of the Great Fishing Contest. I was about seven years old. We lived in a small town with a creek that ran right through the center of the town square. Every year, the town held a fishing contest. There were prizes for the most fish, the biggest fish, the smallest fish, and all sorts of other  »  Read More

There’s nothing like grandchildren to get you reflecting on your life. This last weekend I was talking with a grandson about what it was like for me growing up. That conversation got me thinking about the many lessons I learned before I joined the Marines and left home. Here are five important lessons that I learned  »  Read More

Debbie was little then. But she already had the radiant smile that would inspire her high school classmates to dub her: “Girl most likely to get her picture on a Wheaties box.” It was after church, on a clear California day, and Debbie was charming anyone who came in range. I was acting the role of a proud  »  Read More

I remember the day we gathered at a cold and windy gravesite at the far end of the state to say goodbye. There weren’t a lot of people there, in the cold middle of the week, but some had driven more than three hours. The woman whose body we buried didn’t have one of those lives that are significant in the  »  Read More