Boys Town…
Omaha, NB – Boys Town Boys Town in Omaha is very much a part of the heart of America. They have been helping poor kids for more than a hundred years now. This pic was taken at a display in … Continue reading Boys Town…
Author: RJ Walters
I am an Independent thinking, highly functional person who is deaf and has some unique views and challenges in life.
Like all of us, I am a person who is composed of all my life experiences and that is what I write about here.
The Mind's Eye
When we visited our neighbors to the north in 2011 we came across many things that we had not seen before the this mural is one of them. The whole side of the building is a painting. It is all make-believe. I spent perhaps a half hour just taking it in. Click on the pic to see a larger view with more details…. Continue reading The Mind's Eye
Snow in the Oaks…
I took this picture while walking my dog Beulah last winter. We have numerous mature oaks on the 2 1/2 acre homestead. Continue reading Snow in the Oaks…
Flowers Of Spring…
Dreaming of a field of wildflowers this cold January morning. This one was taken at a State Park in Indiana a few years ago. Continue reading Flowers Of Spring…
Tombstones…
Clarence, IA – Tombstones Since I didn’t have gps tagging at the time I’m not sure but I think this tombstone was in a cemetery in Clarence Iowa. As you can tell it is probably a replacement for the original. … Continue reading Tombstones…
Mustard Museum??
Madison, WI – Mustard Museum Who would have thought that mustard is very American. If you don’t believe me just visit the Mustard Museum in Madison to see how many companies there are in the U.S. that make mustard. There … Continue reading Mustard Museum??
Epilog — Personal Resolutions…
This post finishes up my multi-part “insights” series about where and how I go from here. My overall goal is to do what is necessary to live a happy, wild, and free retirement. Some of my commitments are personal in nature so I won’t be sharing them here. But I will give you the others. It was a very enlightening time for me. I finally managed to “listen to myself” and gain some new sometimes surprising insights: I vow to be more tolerant of other’s beliefs but that does not mean I will let others run roughshod over me. I believe that we are all praying to the same God. It … Continue reading Epilog — Personal Resolutions…
Monolith…
Any guesses as to what this is? Continue reading Monolith…
Battle of Fort McHenry…
Baltimore, MD – Harbor Anyone that has ever visited the Baltimore harbor knows that they celebrate the War of 1812 more than most American cities. The battle at Fort McHenry there is where the Stars Spangled Banner was written about. … Continue reading Battle of Fort McHenry…
Insight 8 – You Have Choices…
You have two choices in life: You can disappear into the mainstream , or you can be true to yourself and swim against the current. One is a form of self-abandonment ; the other is an adventure into new worlds and dimensions. — from Life’s Secret Handbook… If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up way too much space. — Unknown wise person “It’s never too late,” concluded George Eliot, “to be what you might have been.” I n this regard, retirement gives you the time and freedom to become more than you have ever been. … Continue reading Insight 8 – You Have Choices…
They Got Hutzpah….
New Charlie Hebdo Issue Sells Out Charlie Hebdo’s defiant new issue sold out around Paris on Wednesday, with scuffles over copies of the paper fronting the Prophet Muhammad. The issue hit newsstands just as the Yemen-based branch of al-Qaeda officially claimed responsibility for attack SOURCE: TIME – Breaking News, Analysis, Politics, Blogs, News Photos, Video, Tech Reviews. I gotta hand it to the French. They might be arrogant but they got hutzpah. They definitely fit the moniker that “fools rush in where angels fear to tread”. If what happened in France last week had happened here we would all most likely … Continue reading They Got Hutzpah….
Native Americans
Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado Native Americans were of course the original citizens of America. It is shameful what we did to them to establish our version of America. Mesa Verde is all about Native American ruins from six hundred years … Continue reading Native Americans
Insight 7 — Its Not All About Purpose…
Regardless of how much you want to immerse yourself in your major purpose or your most passionate pursuit in life, you should still learn how to enjoy other leisure activities. In the event that you are semi-retired, it’s wise to avoid being overly goal-oriented or judging yourself totally on work-related and materialistic accomplishments. The quality of each and every one of your retirement days should be evaluated , at least in part, by how much you relaxed, laughed, and played while immersed in activities other than your part-time job Consider each day you haven’t laughed, played, and celebrated your life … Continue reading Insight 7 — Its Not All About Purpose…
Jefferson
Washington DC – Jefferson Memorial Jefferson was perhaps the most eloquent of the founding fathers. He spent his life before and after the White House with books and his writing. Even though it is a little out of the way … Continue reading Jefferson
Insight 6 – Listen To Yourself…
Always be true to yourself. Do not blindly believe what you are told about what brings happiness, even what is reported in this book. Find out for yourself what brings joy and contentment to your world. Your inner voice will tell you what will bring you peace of mind. Above all , ask yourself what would give you true happiness. Listen to your answers carefully. Then do what you have to do to attain it. You cannot afford not to. Many years from now you will regret the things that you didn’t do much more so than the ones you … Continue reading Insight 6 – Listen To Yourself…
Mamason
This is one of my favorite edited pictures of Mamason our beloved pet from years ago. Continue reading Mamason
An Agrarian Country??
Somewhere in the Hinterland – Barn If Thomas Jefferson had his way we would still be a nation of farmers. He simply did not trust the monied interests in his time. Continue reading An Agrarian Country??
dAn Agrarian Country??
Somewhere in the Hinterland – Barn If Thomas Jefferson had his way we would still be a nation of farmers. He simply did not trust the monied interests in his time. Continue reading dAn Agrarian Country??
Insight 5 — Eccentricity
I talked a little about “craziness” in the last post but I want to expand that concept this time to include eccentricity. A definition of this word is: a strange and unconventional behavior. In some ways that fits my current life. I seem to be a person who always looks at the unconventional way of doing things. I just don’t generally go with the flow so to speak. Is eccentricity something I should value more in my retirement life? Here is a little about what Ernie Zelinski says about this topic. “Eccentricity is not, as dull people would have us believe, a … Continue reading Insight 5 — Eccentricity
America's Author…
Hannibal, MO – Mark Twain Mark Twain is widely considered America’s author. Continue reading America's Author…
Quebec Wall
We found a few of these painted walls while visiting Quebec. You have to take a quick second look to make sure it is not real. I can only dream of having that kind of talent. Continue reading Quebec Wall
RJ's Corner - Having My Say 