Category: Having My Say

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What We Don’t Understand…

RJ Walters

I am constantly on the lookout for ways to explain why so many fear so much in the world today. The quote above is the most succinct description of that process I have come across. Considering that fear is such a debilitating condition, it seems like everyone ought to be doing whatever they can to figure out a way to eliminate fear from their lives. In someways dibalitating fear might be more damaging than cancer, at least for most of us. I think that maybe one group of people that have been the most fearful lately are Evangelical Christians. It … Continue reading What We Don’t Understand…

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Mosaic of Life #56 – Texture 2

RJ Walters

When it comes to texture, I slip between two extremes. One extreme is the rough texture as shown above. The other is glass smooth, and particularly reflections. You will be seeing both in spades in the course of RJsMosaics. The picture above was taken with one of my cameras that doesn’t have GPS, so I don’t know exactly where it was. But, I do know it was just a small town along a State road in northern Indiana. When I saw the barn, I had to turn around and get the picture to add to my collection. I can just … Continue reading Mosaic of Life #56 – Texture 2

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A Letter To Will… January 2020

RJ Walters

I wrote the letter below in 2020 to one of my primary heroes in life, Will Rogers. Of course, I never got around to writing to him again. But, I will now try to make up for that in the coming days. It’s time to dust off all the books and literature I have collected about his life. It’s time to try and learn what he might teach me about living the times I have left. Continue reading A Letter To Will… January 2020

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Mosaic of Life #48 – Oh, The Kid In Me… Disney World, Lion King

RJ Walters

My wife wasn’t too excited about it, but for our 30th wedding anniversary we went to Disney World. When I told her about the idea, she blurted out, “Disney World is for kids”! I replied, “you ought to know by now that I am a forever kid.” Anyway, we spent five beautiful days in a very fantasy place. Looking back, I think the highlight of it was the performance of Lion King. Even though I couldn’t hear the music, the constant drum beats across my chest were enough to keep me in the mood. Instead of trying to describe all … Continue reading Mosaic of Life #48 – Oh, The Kid In Me… Disney World, Lion King

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Lessons Learned About Retirement Communities

RJ Walters

I am going to use my three years of experience living in a RetCom (retirement community) and visiting a dozen others, to pass on some information I wish I had earlier. It is about choosing the RetCom that is right for you. I am always one to plan everything out. I thoroughly study the destinations and route for all the many vacation trips I have taken. So, it should not be surprising to find that I had done the same thing in choosing where I would spend my final years. Up front, I want to get something that bugs me … Continue reading Lessons Learned About Retirement Communities

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Suffocating Interest Rates

RJ Walters

This post is a Will Rogers’ tongue-in-cheek rant about those who are whining about today’s mortgage interest rates. I hear so much now about those god-awful high-interest home mortgage rates for Gen Zs. Who can afford to buy a house when you have to pay 6% interest on a mortgage! Let me tell you about the “good-old-days”. I graduated from college in 1970 and bought my first home in 1983. It took me that long to save up enough for the required 20% down payment and monthly mortgage rate of 12.9%. It was a good feeling to finally be able … Continue reading Suffocating Interest Rates

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Mosaic of Life #85 – Sam

RJ Walters

I have had pets for most of my life, but my first personal pet was Sam. Before that, they were always family pets. I got Sam as a puppy in October 1972. When I graduated from college in June 1970, I got an apartment about 5 miles from where I worked. It was the first time I had ever lived alone. The first two years I enjoyed the solitude, but within a couple of years I started getting lonely. It was time for a pet. I really don’t know why I chose a dachshund who was the biggest in the … Continue reading Mosaic of Life #85 – Sam

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I Will Struggle To My Last Breath…

RJ Walters

I will struggle to my last breath to convince you that diversity is what has made the U.S. a shining beacon to the rest of the world. • You have nothing to fear from those who might not agree with you on all issues.• You have nothing to fear because a person’s skin color is different from yours.• You have nothing to fear because I am deaf. It is not contagious.• You have nothing to fear because of my neurological differences, and that I might not perceive things the same as you. • You have nothing to fear because I … Continue reading I Will Struggle To My Last Breath…

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We Don’t Know The End, Until We Get There…

RJ Walters

The more I learn, the more I think for myself, the more I question everything, the more I realize I know nothing. Of course, this is one of the primary lessons from a guy called Socrates. He lived about 2,600 years ago. What I mostly get from Socrates is that even though there is way more to learn than we have years on the earth, we must never stop learning. The more we learn, the more we can contribute to allowing future citizens of earth to have a better life than we had. This finally brings me to the main … Continue reading We Don’t Know The End, Until We Get There…

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Mosaic of Life #31 – One Of My Hobbies…

RJ Walters

I’m not much of a collector of things, but one thing I have collected are model cars, particularly the metal kind of the 1/32 scale from the 1960s. They currently occupy the bottom three shelves in my six-shelf curio cabinet. Being a teenager in the 1960s, I was intimately familiar with most of the cars of that era. My first new car, or any car for that matter, was a 1970 was a Mustang Fastback. I wore it out by 1973. Three years was the typical lifespan of cars during that period of time. Then came the 1980s and all … Continue reading Mosaic of Life #31 – One Of My Hobbies…

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A Report On My Week Without A Calendar

RJ Walters

Last week I told you that I was going to give up my calendar for a week. This post is a report on how that went and what I learned from that experience. Almost everything in the list below is primarily applicable for someone in their retirement years. When you work a mandatory a 40 – 60 hour week, little time is left for much of anything else. So, long story short, I am back to scheduling events and activities daily, but not as obsessed that every minor item needs to be put on that calendar. Sometimes lessons are learned … Continue reading A Report On My Week Without A Calendar

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Mosaic of Life #109 – Ottawa Reflections

RJ Walters

Ottawa, which is the national capital of Canada, is one of my most favorite cities I have ever visited. One of the primary reasons is “reflections”. That is, the old and the new building coexisting and actually complimenting each other. The picture above is replicated there dozens of times. In this particular case, it is a reflection of the Parliament building. Continue reading Mosaic of Life #109 – Ottawa Reflections