Generally speaking, most people are pretty decent. Given the chance to offer help to others, they will. Or at least they’ll try. Unfortunately, we often mistake that willingness to assist for the ability to be helpful. Unfortunately, things don’t always work that way. When my middle child was about seven years old, she decided she […]
Photographs, but few memories
The human mind is an intriguing piece of biological equipment. It can conceive of amazing inventions. Machines, devices, and processes that have never existed come to being first in the mind of someone not significantly different from you or me. Ideas can be incredibly powerful or they can be absolutely idiotic. In the case of […]
Dream a little dream and see where it takes you
There is a magical spot in Washington, D.C. I’ve just recently discovered. The spot has been there for years. Eons, in fact. But the inspirational quality of it has only become apparent relatively recently. Thank goodness I was fortunate enough to happen upon it and reflect on its power. The spot I’m so enthralled by […]
Spring forth with confidence
Yay, it’s springtime in the Americas. The northern Americas anyway. We set our clocks ahead last week to prove it. Those much loved golden rays of sunlight linger well into the evening hours now. We await the day, not far off, when temperatures warm, and lush, green grass will tickle our toes once again. It’s […]
Embracing the transition tango
We like to say that education is a life-long pursuit. Yet many of us simultaneously limit education in our discussions and our thought processes to those years we spend in the confines of a traditional institution of learning. Is it a life-long pursuit, or an extended stay in an institutional environment? Both perspectives cannot co-exist […]
Girl Power in general aviation
It has long been a tradition for aviation enthusiasts to be perceived as elitists who shun outsiders. There is a factual basis for that belief, but its time is largely past. However, the dearth of minority participants in aviation is obvious to anyone who spends a day on the ramp. That’s changing, thank goodness. When […]
On spam cans, big iron, and finding my way
Believe it or not, there was a time in my career as an aeronautical nut when I couldn’t wait to get out of the little spam cans I was flying. My plan was to move on to bigger, more capable machinery. Multiple engines were calling my name. Oh, to be operating airframes of much greater […]
Be the old man
The kid’s pace slowed as the tree line fell behind, the green grass of the airport coming into view. Pedaling slower while steering the bike off the main thoroughfare and onto the little used service road, the kid’s eyes scanned the grounds. Beyond the chain link fence, the Do Not Enter signs, and the undeveloped […]
The 12 steps that lead from here to there
The Boy Scout Law isn’t something that keeps me up nights. Well, not most nights, anyway. Yet I find myself thinking about it more and more often these days. Those 12 points from my youthful, somewhat rudderless phase of life seem to keep coming back to me at the oddest times now. If you were […]