Confessing my Dad Attitude

Stay the Course

gwalter — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 18:19:13 +0000

As I watch my lovely, thoughtful, and very beautiful wife back the car out of the driveway, I’m reminded of an important life lesson. I first learned this lesson when I was training to be a pilot. My experiences in the air, and also my experience on boats, has taught me the value of having [...]

Did You Catch That?

gwalter — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 08:07:33 +0000

What Happened? by gwalter Posted in Creativity, Explore, Ideas, Questions Tagged: communication, expectations, igniteportland, innocence, life, listening, melancholy, memories, Portland, toon, toonlet, understanding

Guilty as Charged, but Unburdened!

gwalter — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 21:25:01 +0000

I was just 16.17 years old, approximately, when I received my first ticket for speeding. The problem was, I was innocent – really! I was trying to explain this to my four year-old, but even she wouldn’t buy my story. It’s not fair! Maybe the court of public opinion will way-in on my side and I [...]

Family is the Best Social Network

gwalter — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 02:35:29 +0000

The absence of grandparents is really a serious dilemma for modern parents. When I was growing up, we had regular and frequent contact with all four of my grandparents. I even remember spending time with my maternal great-grandmother, who died when I was very young. But in today’s mobile society, families often live several states [...]

The Future of Nostalgia

gwalter — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 04:08:27 +0000

As we prepared for my maternal grandmother’s funeral, it was my honor to go through a few boxes of her mementos and write a eulogy. She and I always had a special relationship, so it was a melancholy and nostalgic journey that lasted well into the early morning hours. I discovered that she was voted [...]

CPR Doesn’t Work on Dead People

gwalter — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:11:17 +0000

Time stood still as I stood motionless in the stranger’s apartment. It was beautifully furnished. There was a baby grand piano across the room with a silver tea set carefully placed on an expensive table cloth. Exquisite furniture, expensive carpets, and decoration only found in the most expensive homes. Yet, here on the floor, lay [...]

Mercy, Compassion, Empathy, and Self-Differentiation

gwalter — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 01:55:14 +0000

While getting my haircut last week in Denver, I ended up in this store-wide discussion with the three stylists on duty. It was pretty funny actually, mainly ‘cuz I’m not the kind of guy to be that gregarious. Oh sure, about 20 years ago, as a raging drunk, I can remember dominating the conversation in [...]

Father’s Day, 2009: Goals & Priorities

gwalter — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 14:34:30 +0000

I’ve been a father now for four years. You’ve heard me say it before, it’s the most amazing job I’ve ever had! I never knew it was going to be this much fun. For the past two Father’s Days, I’ve had two children to shower love on me. My Darling Daughter and I have always [...]

Free-dumb?

gwalter — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 14:05:32 +0000

“A CrazyDerangedFool [CDF for short] is, like me, somebody who has the temerity to aspire to work in a way that produces both joy, meaning and contribution for both them and others, while also paying the bills. It’s about creativity, it’s about finding meaning, but it’s also about living in the real world. That’s the [...]

Dancing in Public: Disciplining Children

gwalter — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:11:45 +0000

How one disciplines their children can be very personal and often reflects our core values. Opinions and research runs a gauntlet of popular, and not so popular public dialog. People cite Freud, the Bible, Spock, Oprah, Dr. Phil, and of course our own parent’s as we seek to find the right way to keep our [...]