Point Made

I took piano lessons when I was in second grade. I was taught by a nun at Most Holy Trinty in St Louis Park, MN. I remember being reluctant to practice, and reading music was akin to Mandarin to me. One of my neighbors and playmates was Philip Teslow. Philip learned to play the piano, and I understand he could make a living doing it as an adult. The lesson here, Practice makes perfect. https://www.facebook.com/phil.teslow When I began my series of midlife crises, I thought I would learn how to play the guitar. Again the discipline of practice and the inability to read music lead to a mediocre result. I can't remember what happened to my guitar. I'm sure I gave it to someone .After my father's death, I had the task of going through his 'things.' One of the things I found was a harmonica. It was a Horner Tremelo in the key of G. It had an excellent sound, but it had a wood comb, which can be hard on your lips or tongue depending on your technique. I guess that the la...

Effective Deception Disorder, Thinking We’ll Get Better At Playing Golf & Other Day Dreams. By Jeff Jordan Professional Golf Legend, Jack Nicklaus and I are close to the same age. He is wise enough to realize that he can’t play competitively anymore, so he rests on his laurels, which by almost anyone’s standards, are considerable. He still holds the record for winning the most major tournaments. His golf course designs are played all over the world. He and his wife are major sponsors of charity in their community and beyond. On my side f the ledger, I still struggle to break 100 on the golf course. I mow my own lawn. I belong to AARP. My effective deception disorder exhibits itself in the following ways. I still think, in the deepest depths of my mind, that my game is going to get better, I can get someone else to cut my grass for no compensation and I’m going to win the lottery. Letting go of the dreams of our youth can be difficult. We know we’re getting olde...

Growing Old Brings Wisdom, I Believe I Know Stuff. Therefore I Do. By Jeff Jordan As a person who graduated from college and celebrated his 59th birthday in the same year, I have a unique perspective on knowledge acquisition. Going into the classroom in your later years can be frightening. I came to the decision to finish my degree in a strange way. I was separated from my second wife. My career as an industrial sales-person was going okay. But I had an itch. I consulted with a career counselor at our local technical school. After testing, it appeared that I had missed the opportunity to challenge my talents in the field of communications, on-air news, acting, and other stuff a fifty-year-old white guy wouldn't suddenly to do. Eventually, I did the next logical thing (Sarcasm Here). I enrolled in a certification course to become a paralegal. It was only after completing over half the course, one of the lawyers teaching the class advised me that parale...

I've Made A Decision Since Maria and are splitting up I have to relocate. Right now I have my old stand by buddies in the notorious Royal Older of Toads (ROT). My membership in the Expansion Band (2nd chair Harmonica) is still good. I write my theater and restaurant column for Appleton Monthly Magazine. My gym buddies, John and Jannet, are waiting for me to able to join them again. My budget for an apartment is adequate for the Fox Valley. Transportation is a major problem since I no longer drive. Bus service is reasonably priced and the system is pretty good, but the frequency is not good. Crossing town with a transfer to another bus so I can make it to a Doctor's appointment is over an hour one way. The same trip in an Uber is 10-12 minutes. ($14.00 one way) I'm sure before the season is over I will be able to use my bike. Bike lanes are getting better, but they're a lot of gaps. Then winter interrupts the bliss of the wind in my hair and the bugs on my teeth Bo...

Sad News From Jeff Jordan I'm at another major point in my life. Last Wednesday my wife, Maria Costello filed for divorce. It is an uncontested agreement. I wouldn't say it's amicable but we aren't going to fight each other for material or financial issues. I signed the papers willingly. This is strike three for me. I don't want to use a sports analogy, but this situation begs for it. I'm out. I'm sad because it is another major failure I have to own. I'm sad because the way forward for Maria is not having me in her life. I care for her and failing her is hard to accept, but clearly, this is the case. These next few weeks will be challenging for both of us and my intention is not to make it harder than it has to be. My next task is to move. where and when?

Summer, A Concept This year's early history of the 120 Days of possible good weather in Wisconsin. by Jeff Jordan Conjure a mental picture of what summer looks, feels, and smells like in your imagination. It's hot. The people that populate your mental picture are in shorts, t-shirts, and flipflops. They are sweating if they are doing something active. They may be relaxing in the shade or cooking themselves on the beach. One thing is sure, they are aware that that sun could hurt them. Have you ever had the experience of smelling sunscreen in the winter? If you're like me, it immediately channels your thought's to summer. Summer is golf, tennis, mowing the lawn, weeding the garden, cookouts and reading a novel in the hammock. It's grilling food, while you consume your beverage of choice. That soft drink, beer or breezer never quite tastes the same in the winter as it does outside in the summer. It's particularly noticeable when you've come off the cour...