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4100 MILES IN THREE WEEKS. WHAT I LEARNED:

e How it started. Wife: We could fly to Albuquerque and rent a car to see Monument Valley. Me: Or we could drive down and see what we miss from the air. Wife: You drive and I’ll meet you in Albuquerque. Me: Then I’m taking the dog with me. Wife: What?

MATERIAL CULTURE IN MARRIAGE

  Material culture before marriage is one thing, after marriage another. It starts with a ring and sometimes that’s it. When relationships don’t work out, there’s usually a reason unless someone dies. This is what happened before I got married:

THE MARRIAGE TRIP LOSER: DON’T DO THAT

A marriage trip can go any number of ways, including off the tracks. My wife once got a phone call from an old flame recently divorced saying they were passing through and wanted to catch up. Seems innocent enough? One thing led to another until I went negative full-jerk. Why? Because I know things about […]

AMERICAN SOUL SEARCHING CONTINUES

The American soul is elusive. One time it’s here, the next time it’s there. More than one searcher has found it, only to discover what others have: “They are wrong.”

RISK MANAGEMENT FOR MARRIAGE

Does risk management apply to marriage? Only if you’re married. Single people have other risks to mitigate. So what are the risks for married people? The biggest risk is in not apologizing often enough. For example:

LIVE BETTER? IT STARTS AT HOME

I want to live better. So do you. We just don’t say it out loud. Why? Because everyone wants to live better, they just don’t want to do the work. And if they do the work, they get it wrong. For example:

SUNNY DAY FOR CELEBRATIONS EVERYDAY

A sunny day is the best sort of day for cheering. You can go outside and walk around with the joy of the day, no matter what is celebrated. And you don’t have to dress like you’re going on an undersea adventure. Just open the door and step out. But what is there to celebrate? […]

FAMILY PROTECTION ADVICE FROM A DADDY

Family protection comes down to two things: Threat, and perceived threat. Both trigger a need. Let’s start with threat:

WELCOME MAT: THERE’S MORE THAN ONE

Welcome mat? What it means: It means you’re welcome at that particular door. But you knew that. It also means it’s up to you to stay welcome. This might be new territory for some of you.

THE BEST NEIGHBOR OF ALL

My best neighbor of all time was also a king-pin. He owned a construction company and hired convicts. The idea was getting people out of prison and onto a better life. To get started, and early release, they needed a job and place to live.