The Magic of Boundaries

Posted on September 9, 2026 by admin

I’d like to talk a bit about boundaries. This subject has been in the back of my mind ever since I read Boundaries by John Townsend and Henry Cloud. While I reviewed it shortly after reading it, my appreciation for the concept and how it’s improved my life as I’ve better understood and implemented it have both grown over time. Here’s what I particularly like about it.

In the past, if someone close to me were saying something that I didn’t want to hear, I’d attempt to shut them up with requests, hostility if they refused my requests, reasons to obey me, and so on. The boundaries approach is different. Instead of trying to silence the speaker, I can set a boundary by covering my ears, listening to something that will at least muffle the speech if not totally drown it out, or simply leaving the area. That prevents a conflict, allows the other person to continue speaking freely, and avoids either of us being forced to do something we don’t want to do. In fact, I did just that very thing while waiting to get my hair cut a few weeks ago. One of the barbers was talking with his client about a subject I absolutely despise. After dealing with it for a while, I moved to the other side of the room. Unfortunately, that only slightly reduced the sound, and I could still hear their conversation loudly and clearly. Fortunately, I had my headphones in my car right outside. A minute after remembering that, I was watching a fun video and totally free from having to listen to that annoying conversation.

Another example comes from my first job. During a bit of a break, one of my coworkers referenced food that was available by saying, “You can eat this.” I responded by saying, “I don’t want to because I have food I brought from home.” Undeterred, she repeated, “You can eat this.” I also repeated, “I don’t want to because I have food I brought from home,” with more emphasis this time. “You can eat this,” she repeated yet again, at which point, I got up, went into another room, and ate my own food in peace. I realized the futility of continuing the conversation and trying to make my point clear, so I just left it. I’m impressed I did that at that point in my life because this was well before I’d read and probably even heard of Boundaries.

The same goes for someone asking questions I don’t want to answer. Before, I would attempt to silence them or forcibly change the subject. A much better approach is to state that I’d rather talk about something else, ask that the person will go along with me in a change of subject, and then set boundaries if they don’t. That might look like continuing to talk about something else over their attempts to force the subject I don’t want, stay silent rather than responding, or leaving the situation entirely if I feel annoyed enough. As with the other example, the boundaries approach respects the other person’s freedom to speak while also respecting my freedom to interact or not as I see fit.

These examples show the core of boundaries: they are about doing what I can with myself instead of trying to control others in order to get more of what I want and less of what I don’t want. I love that approach because it is less likely to lead to conflict and gives everyone much more freedom than the coercive approach. Also, I love that it doesn’t require me to even voice a concern first. All I have to do is alter what I’m doing to give myself a better chance of getting what I want, whether or not anybody else knows that’s what I’m doing. At the barbershop, I didn’t ask either of the people to change the subject or be quiet. I just made it much harder for me to hear their conversation and, as far as I can tell, stayed on good terms with them both. Sounds like a victory to me.

As with most other valuable life lessons, my dog Sawyer was a master of boundaries. If he disliked something, he might let me know with a whale eye, light growl, or other gentle warning. Most of the time, though, he simply left the room if he wanted privacy. Watching him and learning how to understand what he wanted based on what he did and “said” taught me a lot about how I can use boundaries in different areas of my life.

I hope that I’ll get better at voicing my concerns and asking for changed behavior where appropriate, as well as announcing when I’m setting a boundary. Fortunately, the above examples show that that is not always necessary, especially when dealing with a hostile person whom I will never see again for the rest of my Earthly life. However, I do want to give those close to me a chance to know when they’re doing something that hurts me, make amends, and do better going forward. After all, that’s just what I would appreciate them doing for me. I’m still pretty early in my healing journey, so it’s going to take more time for the work I’ve done to settle in fully and to go even further. As long as I keep making progress in those areas, all will be fine.

Posted in Communication, Getting Along with Each Other, Great Books, Inspirational People, Life Hacks, Personal Freedom, Self-Improvement | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Frequently Asked Questions

Posted on September 2, 2026 by admin

Folks who cross my path tend to ask me the same questions repeatedly. I’ve grown tired of answering them, even when they’re simple questions. As such, I decided to make a page of frequently asked questions. Whether by sending someone the link to this post or by carrying a wallet-sized version, I hope that this will save me the trouble of verbally answering these questions for the rest of my life while still giving some information about me to those who are curious. Without further ado, here are the most common questions that I’d rather not answer anymore.


Q: What do you do for work?

A: Few questions turn me off of someone faster than this one, especially when this is the first question someone asks me right after we meet for the first time ever. Is that really the most interesting question you can come up with to ask this new person? Beyond that, I dislike talking about work as it is often boring, stressful, and takes away time from my life that I’d rather spend on things I enjoy. Also, talking about work tends to make people judge each other by what they do and consider each other to be their job titles instead of just something they do in part of their lives (ie “janitor” instead of “someone who does janitorial work”), which often leads to unpleasant assumptions and ideas about others. I don’t care to talk about what I do for work or what you do for work. Instead, let’s talk about fun, interesting things that both of us can enjoy talking about.

Q: Why are you so quiet?

A: I like to make my words count. That means I tend to speak only when I have something to say, which is not that often as most conversation is boring or stressful for me. My own head is quite an entertaining place, and I can do whatever I like in there without being met with negativity from anybody else. I also don’t like explaining myself much, repeating what I say, having to talk in loud situations, or being interrupted, all of which happens to me a lot. As such, I generally say little and mostly prefer to just be quietly present with others.

Q: How long did it take you to grow your beard that long?

A: This is a hard question to answer. My beard has changed shape and size many times since I started growing this version of it back in late 2016 and even more so since I first started growing a circle beard back in high school. If I had to guess, I’d say it would have taken about two years to get to its current length if I’d started from scratch. Beards typically grow about half an inch a month, and beard length in beard competitions is measured from the bottom of the closed lip on down. My beard is around a foot long, so it would take somebody about two years of no shaving to match my current beard length.


Q: What’s going on between A and B?

A: I hate gossip. Whatever is happening between two or more other folks that doesn’t involve me is none of my business, and I intend to keep it that way. I reckon that folks who gossip to me about others will also gossip about me to others and I don’t want to be a part of that. Beyond that, if you want the most accurate information about someone else’s romantic life, health issues, financial situation, or anything else, ask that person directly instead of going to somebody else who may or may not know what’s actually the case.


Q: Have you tried/why don’t you try ______?

A: I dislike unsolicited advice, especially when it comes after I simply answer a question someone has about how I’m doing or what’s going on. I’ve learned a lot about how to take good care of myself, and someone speaking as if they necessarily know that what they’re saying will help rather than hurt rubs me the wrong way. Often, someone has recommended I try something that has consistently failed for me, do something that I was already doing, or assumed that what works for them must also work for me. In fact, I’ve gotten into a lot of trouble in life by blindly following what someone else wanted me to do rather than finding something that fits who I am and works well for me, even if that’s something different than what works well for the average person. The idea of asking as a polite way of telling is something I heard as a kid and has stuck in the back of my head all these years, and it seems truest whenever unsolicited advice occurs.


Q: Are you gonna get another one?

A: I wish everybody would stop asking me that question. My dog Sawyer was my best friend ever. It took me over a year and a half to feel decent after he died, and I only got there that quickly because I cried almost all day, almost every day during that time and didn’t have a day job to get in the way of healing. I don’t want to go through that pain again since I barely survived it the first time and I don’t know if I’d survive it a second time, especially since I’m so busy now that I have hardly any time for the deep healing work that I did years ago. Beyond that, dogs are living beings that require food, shelter, water, vet visits, enrichment, and other stuff that takes lots of time and money. Even if I were capable of properly caring and providing for another living being in all those ways, it would still be up to me as to whether or not I’d choose to do so. I doubt you want me to die from grief over losing another animal friend, and I also doubt that you’re willing to pay all my bills that would occur if I got a pet. So instead of asking me if I’m going to get another animal friend or flat-out telling me to do so (remembering what I said above about unsolicited advice), please instead ask for stories, pictures, videos, fun and funny memories, and other sweet things from my life with Sawyer. I’m glad to share any and all of those with you.

Posted in Communication, Getting Along with Each Other, Inspirational People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Choosing Emotions?

Posted on August 26, 2026 by admin

You can’t choose your emotions. Bold statement, I know. Yet I felt compelled to write about this since so many people believe that you can choose how you feel. Here’s my take on this.

Even though some see emotions and feelings as two different things, I them as different names for the same thing, so I’ll be using them interchangeably in this post (as I do in most of my other posts about emotions). Further, I see them as automatic sensations that arise beyond one’s control. Thus, I believe that most of those who claim to be able to choose their emotions are merely suppressing/ignoring them and thinking they have mastery over what they feel. More on that later.

What I see as my best, strongest argument against this is that if humans could choose their emotions, then nobody would ever feel any differently than they wanted to at any time. To show the absurdity and impossibility of this, ask someone who claims that emotions are a choice the following: if somebody breaks into your house and kills all your family members while leaving you alive, could you choose to feel only positive emotions and avoid feeling any negative emotions? I don’t believe anyone could, even someone who claims to be able to do so. Perhaps enough healing work over a long enough span of time could remove all negativity from that event. However, that is a far different thing than being able to successfully prevent that negativity arising in the first place.

In my most peaceful emotional states, I have been immune to feeling bothered by certain things that have upset me greatly in much lower emotional states. However, I’ve still been able to feel the full range of emotions, including anger, sadness, fear, and other forms of negativity. Even in those states, I’ve not been able to decide which emotions to feel and which ones to avoid. My lack of resistance to any and all feelings in those peaceful states is what allows them to pass quickly and return to those peaceful, easy feelings.

This is not limited to me. There is a woman known as Patient S. M. who, due to the destruction of her amygdala, is almost completely unable to feel fear. Tests have repeatedly found that the only thing that can cause her to feel fear is simulating suffocation (such as through inhaling an excessive amount of carbon dioxide), which is also believed to produce a deep-seated fear response in all other humans. She is unable to prevent fear from arising in those suffocation tests, and she is unable to make fear arise when watching scary movies, walking through haunted house attractions, handling snakes and spiders, being kidnapped at knifepoint by strangers, and any number of other dangerous situations she’s been through that would make most folks feel terrified. To me, this is a strong real-world case for the impossibility of choosing emotions.

I was certainly unable to prevent massive sadness, sorrow, depression, and grief from coming up nearly all day every day for months after my dog Sawyer died. The tears flowed more during that time than they ever have for me before or since then. I can hardly remember the depth of all that pain at this point, yet I’m sure I’d still be drowning in it if I hadn’t experienced it fully. I feel so confident saying that because of past instances in which I suppressed the pain and didn’t feel any better until I finally felt through it all. In many cases, I’m still working on feeling through all the pain, such as the painful experiences from when I was a kid. Thank goodness I allowed all the pain around Sawyer’s death to come up without resistance. Here’s hoping I can successfully do that with all the other pain as well.

While I don’t know why some folks believe they can choose how to feel, I have a guess. My guess is that someone who is especially skilled at letting their emotions run their course without resistance might mistake the swift passage of negative feelings for being able to decide not to have them. It’s also likely that someone who is used to suppressing unwanted feelings can think that refusing to fully experience them is the same as preventing them from happening in the first place. Of course, suppression doesn’t prevent or get rid of feelings. All it does is make them stick around and cause lots of trouble on the emotional, mental, and, in many cases, physical levels. And for anyone who thinks they can make decisions free from emotion, sorry, that’s not how humans operate. Humans make decisions according to their values, which are based on emotion. Reason comes in after the fact to justify decisions that have already been made. Jonathan Haidt talks a great deal about this in The Righteous Mind. He’s one of many who have discussed the inherent emotionality of human beings in contrast to the reasonable, rational foundation that many assume that at least some humans possess.

If I haven’t convinced you by now that humans can’t choose their feelings and that we’re all fundamentally emotional rather than reasonable, that’s ok. I know I didn’t come to those positions by reason, so I don’t expect anyone else to do so. Whether or not anyone else agrees with me on this, I can still use what I’ve learned to make my own life better, freer, and more peaceful. And that’s such a good feeling.

Posted in Communication, Getting Along with Each Other, Great Books, Inspirational People, Life Hacks, Personal Freedom, Self-Improvement | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Too Much Self-Care?

Posted on August 19, 2026 by admin

I wake up before the sun

And go back to sleep until sunrise is done

Then it’s time for all the things

Like oils and mantras and a bell that dings

A few hours of breathwork to make me feel good

No matter what’s happening in my neighborhood

Followed by some heat and then cold

To power me up and stop me getting old

Up next, a float for another few hours

That mellows me out and gives me more powers

Along with chanting and affirmations galore

When I think I’m all done, I do just a few more

Drinking some hot tea and then reading the leaves

Gives me an idea of what’s coming over the eaves

As does checking out my astrology chart

And clearing my chakras, especially the heart

Time to go sit by my dog Sawyer’s grave

So that videos, pics, and memories I’ll save

I use crystals to bring up whatever needs healing

And yoga to chill out and stop me from reeling

I listen to sounds and motivational speeches

While I meditate on one of various beaches

Now that my self-care list is put away

I’m finally ready to start my day

Now that I’m clear in my heart and head

Oh no, now it’s nighttime and I’m off to bed

Posted in Inspirational People | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

How Would You Treat a Teddy Bear?

Posted on August 12, 2026 by admin

How would you treat a teddy bear? This is something I often wonder when I think about my stuffed animals and how others would react to them. Beyond that, I see it applying to many other areas of life for many living beings. Here’s my take on this.

I was inspired to write about this yesterday morning. On the drive to work, I saw a Hello Kitty stuffed animal sitting on top of a trash can on trash pickup day. I stopped, put her in the backseat, and carried on with my day. After work, I spent some time giving her a bath/shower with laundry detergent in the bathtub. Giving her a day to dry showed that most of the dirt is gone, though I’d still like to wash her some more. I’m glad she looks much cleaner now than when I first saw her.

This wasn’t the first time I’d rescued a stuffed animal from being thrown out like a piece of trash. In fact, I’ve done this on at least five other occasions, though this is the most amount of work I’ve had to put into cleaning a rescued stuffed animal. I don’t get the mindset of those who throw away stuffed animals, especially ones that are still clean and in great shape. Why not give them to friends or family members who might enjoy them, send them to organizations that find homes for unwanted teddies, or at least donate them to a thrift store? Any of those would be better options than being left to rot in a landfill or getting burned up.

I’m sure that at least some of my approach, feelings, and thoughts around this were created from the Toy Story movies. I grew up with the first two and saw the third within a few years of its release. The idea of living toys has been with me since I was only a few years old, and it has undoubtedly shaped my entire perspective on this. When I see toys that have been thrown away, it makes me think of a scene toward the end of Toy Story 3 when it looks like the toys we’ve grown to love throughout the series are about to die. I hate to think of that happening to any toy, especially a cute stuffed animal. Whether or not they actually have feelings, it still feels mean to treat them badly.

My concerns here go beyond toys. My suspicion is that those who treat stuffed animals with cruelty tend to treat other things as well as beings in general that way. It’s rare to find someone who acts with kindness in all areas of life except for one area in which there is great meanness. Love and hatred both tend to bleed over into all aspects of life; whichever one becomes dominant depends on which gets used the most. Those who abuse animals also often abuse humans, for example. I believe that those who abuse stuffed animals find it easier to abuse living beings as they are used to acting cruelly, even if only to inanimate objects at first. The more lifelike the stuffed animals they abuse, the easier they’d find it to abuse real animals, and so on.

Even with living beings, there are plenty of folks who abuse them. Lots of folks hate small dogs, for instance, and at least verbally abuse them while also talking or “joking” about physically hurting them. Some go so far as to actually physically abuse or even kill them. For these sickos, it seems that the smaller, cuter, and more defenseless the animal, the bigger the kick they get out of hurting those poor critters. I’m glad my dog Sawyer never had to interact with anyone who would do that to him, any other small dogs, or any other animals in general of whatever size. I feel devastated for those animals who do have the misfortune of meeting such cruel excuses for humans.

I see this also applying to humans abusing other humans. The bully at my job aims most of his verbal abuse toward those younger and physically weaker than him. Although he has backed off of me almost entirely since I put him in his place late last year, I can’t help but think that my being a bit shorter than him, about half his weight, and physically far weaker than he is made me an especially appealing target for him, in addition to my emotional issues and hypersensitivity to cruelty. The notion that bullies are mostly cowards who pick on those they believe won’t be able to effectively push back seems ever more plausible to me, especially in this case where the bully in question is a 52-year-old pastor picking on a small guy in his early 30s.

Building off of the previous paragraph, I do sometimes think other humans see me as they would a teddy bear. As a result, some treat me well and see me as either needing or deserving extra special care. Others, however, see it as an opportunity to push me around, get whatever they want from me, and abuse me in any way they like. This has mostly been done by those who were older than me, and almost always by those who are stronger than me. As you probably guessed, I much prefer to be around those who treat me, stuffed animals, and real animals well. This is one of the reasons I love character interactions at Disney World so much. The characters have always treated me well and interacting with them has often been the highlight of my trips. Whenever I’ve shown them some of my stuffed friends, they’ve also treated them with kindness, gentleness, and love. Even other non-character Disney cast members have shown appreciation for my stuffed friends. That always makes my heart soar and puts a smile on my face. I’ll take those kinds of interactions with nice folks over bad interactions with bullies any day.

Whatever your answer to the central question in this post, it likely informs how you’d also treat animals and humans, especially smaller, weaker ones than you. It is also likely enough to let me know whether or not I’d want to interact with you if our paths ever crossed. So, with all of this in mind, how would you treat a teddy bear?

Posted in Getting Along with Each Other, Great Movies, Inspirational People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on How Would You Treat a Teddy Bear?

Life, Time, Opportunities, and Regrets

Posted on August 5, 2026 by admin

For at least the last four years, I’ve spent lots of time thinking about how fleeting everything in life is. Plenty of things that seem like they’ll always be around can vanish in a short time. Afterward, it can be as if they were never there in the first place. Other things pop up overnight and are gone just as fast. While time in general seems to move faster now than it did when I was a kid, I believe that part of that is how fast things fall away and get replaced with other things. Let’s explore this together.

Disney World is a great example of change. Many reference Walt Disney’s idea that Disneyland would never be finished. Sadly, they normally do this as a callous response to someone else’s distress over losing one of their favorite Disney attractions that has been removed and replaced with something else. That aside, there has been a ton of change at every Disney park since it first opened. Many of them bear little to no resemblance to how they looked on opening day. Some of the many changes over the past few years at Disney World include the loss of MuppetVision 3D at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, DinoLand U.S.A. and the Affection Section petting zoo at Animal Kingdom, and the Rivers of America and the longest-running version of Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress at the Magic Kingdom. I was one of many folks who felt shocked and saddened by the loss of these wonderful attractions, several of which had been around for over thirty years. They all seemed immune to removal until they weren’t. As glad as I am that I got to experience them all before they were gone, I still wish that I could go experience them again on future trips.

Unfortunately, as with so many other lessons I’ve learned, this one came out of heartbreak. My dog Sawyer’s death is what drove this home for me. Since then, it’s been further driven home by the deaths of my grandmother and others close to me. I so wish I’d spent more time with Sawyer, my grandparents, and other loved ones who have died. It hurts so much that I won’t get any other opportunities to visit with them on Earth. There are things I wish I’d said to and done with all of them, and now it’s too late. It especially hurts that I won’t get a chance to save more of Sawyer’s fur, get a clay impression of his paw, and stand up for him so that he could have gotten an opportunity for more life. I wish all of that were different and it kills me that it isn’t.

I often think of the ephemerality of life when I seek to make plans to visit with someone I like and they consistently turn me down, somehow always have plans, or otherwise don’t make time or even show interest in hanging out with me. For example, if I ask someone whom I consider a friend to hang out with me at a particular activity or on a specific day, the person will often decline entirely without suggesting any alternative. They hardly ever say anything along the lines of, “I can’t meet then; how about another time?” or “I’d rather not do A, so how about B instead?” The fact that they don’t suggest an alternative comes across to me as if they don’t want to spend time with me at all, and that hurts me. Reinforcing this is the fact that most folks I know don’t reach out to me. I have to reach out to them, whether it’s to make plans, ask for help, or simply say hello. Sometimes I think about this in relation to folks I’ve known who died unexpectedly, especially those who were quite young when they died. I wonder how their relationships would have changed if everyone knew how little time together they had left. I wonder how those I know would think and feel about our interactions if I died unexpectedly.

All of this is why I do my best to seize opportunities as they arise. When I’m on the fence about something, I remember my values, think about how I might not get the chance to do that particular thing again, and ask myself how I’d feel looking back someday if I missed my chance. After all, I never know how long an opportunity will last or if it will come back someday. The past six years have repeatedly shown me that there are no guarantees in life and that anything and everything can change in a second. Some say that have no regrets. I have many, though I’m doing what I can to have fewer regrets over missed opportunities going forward. As with so many other life lessons, this is one that I wish I’d learned sooner and far less painfully. I only hope that my satisfactions in life will someday outweigh my regrets.

Posted in Getting Along with Each Other, Inspirational People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Life, Time, Opportunities, and Regrets

Don’t Bring Me Your Problems as a Matter of Course

Posted on July 29, 2026 by admin

Don’t bring me your problems as a matter of course

And talk about your woes until your voice becomes hoarse

And certainly don’t start complaining away

Before you’ve even made sure that I’m feeling okay

I don’t want to hear about all the problems you’ve had

With all of the humans who’ve made you feel bad

If you want to make your issues with them flee

Then talk it all over with them, not with me

I can’t solve problems you have with another

Be it a friend, stranger, coworker, or mother

Nor make you feel better as I don’t control you

Only you can stop yourself feeling blue

Keep all of your gossip and drama to yourself

Rather than dump it on me like a mischievous elf

I can think of fewer things that’d be more of a curse

Than you feeling better by making me feel worse

I’ll put it bluntly so that you know what I mean

Don’t make me all dirty so that you can feel clean

Let’s talk about nice things that we both want to hear

And make our time together ever so dear

I’d much prefer that to your using me

As an unpaid therapist only there to serve thee

All that that makes me want to do

Is find any way to steer clear of you

If you want to lean on me and I’m up to the task

Then before you start venting, always first ask

If I say yes, then continue you may

But if I say no, then not one dark word you will say

Missing Sawyer and other dogs and critters who’ve died

And tons of other experiences from which I have cried

Have made it so hard to enjoy my own life

That I want to avoid any and all kinds of strife

I’ve had enough parades ruined by rain

From those who have brought me even more pain

So if there’s lots on your mind and you’re feeling stuck

Take a page from programmers and talk to the duck

Posted in Communication, Getting Along with Each Other, Inspirational People | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Don’t Bring Me Your Problems as a Matter of Course

2026 Mid-Year Goal Check-in

Posted on July 22, 2026 by admin

Since it’s about halfway through 2026, I figured I’d check in to see how my goals for this year are going so far. This always lets me see which ones are on track and which could use some improvement. Here’s how they look at this point.

  1. Make peace my normal state. This one is mostly going well thanks to tons of letting go over the past month or two. In addition to working through recent difficulties, I’ve also gone deeper to address the many profound emotional wounds that occurred earlier in my life, including some that shaped my trauma responses and created most of the difficulties I’ve had since then. All of that work has made me feel much more at ease in everyday life, better handle some concerns that have arisen as of late, and let me return to a more peaceful state once the rough waters settle back down. I doubt I’d have gotten this far if the letting go technique hadn’t pulled me out of the deepest, darkest pit of grief, sorrow, and despair after my dog Sawyer died. Though it seemed like the pain would never end or even diminish in intensity, it gradually did both over the last four years. Though peace still eludes me at times, it finds me more than it has for most of my life.

  2. Stand up for myself without being a bully. I’m still struggling with this one. One way in which I’ve succeeded here is at the zoo. Almost every week, somebody sees me wearing my grandfather’s pith helmet, assumes I work there, and starts asking me stuff that I don’t know about. Rather than try to figure out how to answer them or risk giving them an incorrect answer, I simply say, “I don’t work here.” Far more often than not, those four words are enough to end the interaction and allow me to continue going about my day. However, sometimes when I’m driving, I end up not letting people over, honking needlessly, and otherwise taking out my frustration on others. I suppose some overcorrection is only natural after a lifetime of people pleasing and giving folks what they want out of fear more often than not. My hope is that continued healing will allow me to take a stand against bullies without joining their ranks.

  3. Get more sleep. Here’s my biggest struggle of the bunch. I tend to get plenty of quality sleep on my days off work. On workdays, however, I almost always fall short. I don’t know why it’s so hard for me to go to bed at a decent time on worknights. Even worse is that my sleep quality on worknights tends to also suffer. I usually toss and turn, wake up during the night, and sometimes even check my phone out of fear that I’ve slept through my alarms. Unfortunately, I haven’t yet gotten myself out of the rut of insufficient sleep, and I fear that that won’t happen anytime soon. I hope to figure out a way out before 2026 ends.

Posted in Adventures, Communication, Getting Along with Each Other, Life Hacks, Personal Freedom, Self-Improvement | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on 2026 Mid-Year Goal Check-in

Tribute to Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress

Posted on July 15, 2026 by admin

Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress was one of my favorite attractions at Disney World. The past tense is necessary here as it just closed down at the end of Independence Day weekend. I feel extremely sad about this as that version has been in place since 1994, it’s the only version I’ve ever experienced in person, and I looked forward to it every time I went to the Magic Kingdom. Here’s my take on this wonderful attraction.

For those unfamiliar with the Carousel of Progress, here’s an overview of the version I knew. It is a stage show populated with an animatronic family in four different time periods that show the progression of technology and how it has changed their lives over the course of about a century. The theatre rotates around the central stage to move guests from one time period to the next as the characters sing “There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow.” The first scene is set during Valentine’s Day 1903. John, the father, talks about various technological advances such as their new ice box, horseless trolley, and the Wright Brothers working on their airplane. The second scene starts off with the “…hottest 4th of July we’ve had in years!” While showing how many electrical appliances the family now has, John inadvertently blows fuses in both his house and the rest of the neighborhood. Halloween is the holiday in question during the third scene in the 1940’s. John talks about being part of the rat race, DIY, television, and how much better things are now than they’ve ever been before. In each of these scenes, other family members pop in and out of view thanks to lighting changes and rotating portions of the sets as they demonstrate additional technologies and elements of whichever year they’re in.

The final scene takes place at Christmas around the turn of the 21st century. Virtual reality video games and voice activated appliances have opened up whole new worlds of possibilities for the family. This is my favorite scene for a few reasons. In addition to the warmth of Christmas on display from beginning to end, the main family members are all together on stage at the same time with nothing separating them from each other as in the earlier scenes. That scene also reminds me of Christmases long, long ago at my grandparents’ house. The grandfather animatronic reminds me a lot of my own maternal grandfather, both with how he looks and how he speaks. I loved seeing the family go through so much together over so many years and still be so close, especially as they look forward to a new century together. I wish my own family could be more like that.

One of my favorite parts of Carousel of Progress is Rover the family dog. What was especially nice about my final day with this attraction was seeing how Rover looked at me with the sweetest, most soulful eyes when I sat in certain positions in the theatre. That gave me so much comforted and reminded me so much of how my late dog Sawyer used to look at me. All the love in the world came out of his eyes, and it’s amazing how the Disney imagineers were able to perfectly replicate that look.

To me, Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress was warm, cozy, nostalgic, and wholesome. Each version of the attraction from the time it debuted at the 1964 World’s Fair to the one planned to open up next year has featured technological progress as the central theme, with animatronic characters talking about all the changes and either “There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” or “The Best Time of Your Life” (both of which were written by the incredible Sherman Brothers) acting as the transition song between scenes. I only know a little bit about those versions as they were all before my birth. For all the reasons mentioned above, I will greatly miss the only version I’ve experienced thus far. After the 1964 World’s Fair ended, the Carousel of Progress lived at Disneyland for some time before being moved to Disney World and, after many changes, became the version that lasted for over thirty years until its closure earlier this month. I wish that it could either be relocated to somewhere else in Disney World or sent back to Disneyland as is. That way, anybody who can make it to Disneyland could still experience it; I’d love to get that chance if I’m able to make it to Disneyland someday as I hope to do. If that doesn’t happen, then I’m glad to have so many pictures, videos, YouTube recordings, and memories of this classic attraction. They’ll keep me smiling and feeling hopeful through many great big beautiful tomorrows.

Posted in Adventures, Getting Along with Each Other, Inspirational People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Wonderful Disney Trip

Posted on July 8, 2026 by admin

Last weekend, I had yet another trip to Disney World. Unlike previous trips in which I attended the same park for multiple days, this one featured a different park on both days. It was lovely and also heartbreaking. I’ll give an overview of each day and then focus more on what I enjoyed as well as what I disliked. Here we go.

The primary purpose of my trip was to say goodbye to Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress. This is one of my favorite attractions in all of Disney World and, apart from a few minor changes, has remained the same since the current version opened up in 1994. Unfortunately, it closed at the end of my trip and will reopen next year after being changed into a totally new show. As such, I decided to go back to the Magic Kingdom and see it multiple times in one day, similarly to what I did with MuppetVision 3D last year at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Speaking of which, I went to that park the day before to revisit some old favorites, check out some new stuff, and enjoy much more of what it has to offer than I did on my last visit. Here’s how it went.

The first day started off on the wrong foot with a huge amount of traffic a bit into my trip. That annoyed me a lot and took away time that I could have spent in the park. Once I got over that, I had a lovely day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. I checked off everything on my list except Slinky Dog Dash and Toy Story Mania. Bad weather and technical difficulties prevented me from riding those rides. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror was just as I remember it. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is still a blast. I love all the Muppet stuff in there, especially the MuppetVision 3D props and references. It was so fun blasting around the track past various Muppet sight gags with “Walking on Sunshine” as the soundtrack. Afterward, I enjoyed a root beer float from FØØD by Swedish Chef and headed over to the new Animation Courtyard. I loved playing rock, paper, scissors with Donald Duck and the other wonderful character interactions there. All the characters were lovely, as always. Fantasmic! blew me away. I appreciated how much of that show and the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Show have stayed the same over the years. That was a lovely way to finish off a great day in the park.

The second day was also lovely with only a few downsides. At the Magic Kingdom, I missed the Dapper Dans as their last set got canceled due to lightning. The big nighttime fireworks show ended before I could ride Peter Pan’s Flight or the PeopleMover with only a 5-minute wait time for either; I ended up skipping both in favor of more rides on the Carousel of Progress. I had a lot of fun meeting Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, Stitch, Winnie the Pooh, and Tigger throughout the day (as well as getting autographs from the latter three). Just like last year, I had a great time listening to Grayson play anything and everything on piano. We had some good conversations, took a picture together, and he even played “The Entertainer” at my request. I rode the Carousel of Progress at least eight times while singing along every time, watched Sonny Eclipse while eating dinner, ate a bunch of ice cream, rode the Astro Orbiter for the first time ever, and saw some of the parade on my way out early in the morning on July 5th. After a smooth drive, I got home super late and slept soundly.

The biggest bummer of my trip was the fact that it was the last time I could experience the longest-running version of the Carousel of Progress. I started missing it even before it closed. The attraction has changed only slightly since it reopened in 1994 (mostly some alterations to some clothes of the characters and other minor details like that), meaning that it’s been the same for almost my entire life. I will sorely miss the version I’ve known all my life, especially the final scene where the house and grandfather character remind me so much of my maternal grandfather and my maternal grandparents’ house.

Another big bummer was missing the Dapper Dans. I always enjoy their show and figured I’d have time to see their last one of the day. I didn’t count on lightning near the Magic Kingdom canceling that show. While I did hear them a bit toward the end of one of their songs earlier in the day, I still wish I’d gotten to see them for at least one full set. Next time, I will make sure to see them earlier in the day so that this doesn’t happen again.

I was glad that the ear, nose, and throat issues that had started the week before my trip cleared up before I went to Disney World. Unfortunately, that’s not my only health concern as of late. I partially rolled my ankle a few days before the trip. That was the same ankle that I rolled earlier this year. Fortunately, I immediately started doing the same exercises that fixed it the first time. I believe that that, the previous rehabilitation I did for it, and the fact that this incident was far less severe than the first incident are what allowed me to spend two days in Disney World with little to no pain. Even now, my ankle is still feeling about as good as it did before my trip.

I enjoyed getting all the pressed pennies on my list and a few others. The ones I went there intending to get were of Pluto, various Muppet characters, and Winnie the Pooh and friends. I also got an additional Pluto design and two designs with Chip ‘n’ Dale. I also got keychain versions of Rowlf and Fozzie and a Kermit plush. I’m glad to finally have some Muppet plushies after being such a big Muppets fan my whole life.

Until recently, I thought my EPCOT trips back in May would be my only times going to Disney World this year. I also thought that I’d either never again visit the Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios or that it would at least be many years before my return to those parks. Once I learned that the Carousel of Progress would be completely changed, I decided to go say goodbye to that. Going to Disney’s Hollywood Studios the day before came about after my interest in the new Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets coaster was piqued, in addition to wanting to do more things in that park that I skipped last year while saying goodbye to MuppetVision 3D. My original idea to visit each park on a separate trip in different months of this year fell by the wayside when I realized that it’d just be easier, more efficient, and less costly to go to both parks in the same weekend. I’m glad I did as it was such a lovely trip.

This trip taught me a few things. Aside from managing my time better and not counting on being able to do something later on, it showed me that I can still enjoy something even if it’s different than it used to be. I dearly miss Muppet Courtyard, MuppetVision 3D, PizzeRizzo, the Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer Island, the Liberty Belle Riverboat, DinoLand U.S.A., and the Affection Section. All of those closed at Disney World between last year and this year. Although I like each park, and thus Disney World as a whole, less since those closures, I still had a wonderful time. Whether revisiting old favorites or checking out new attractions, I found much to enjoy in both the Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios this past weekend. Similarly, I still find much to enjoy in life despite missing my dog Sawyer, my grandparents, and other loved ones who have died or left my life in other ways. Since I know how to let go of pain and negative emotions, I can sit with those feelings long enough to see the value in something, even if it’s not as nice as it once was or has brought me pain. I’m glad of that, and I’m glad I did so much letting go this year. While it wasn’t my intention to prepare for this trip that way, it still helped me enjoy it as much as I did and make the most of it, whether things were going well or poorly. I hope to continue enjoying Disney World and life itself in this way for as long as I can.

Posted in Adventures, Inspirational People, Life Hacks, Personal Freedom, Self-Improvement | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on A Wonderful Disney Trip