Growing Old, Gracefully.
Stories that help you find peace, hope, and happiness.
Don’s Most Recent
Highway 30
The older I get, the more my head is packed with wonderful memories of my childhood. From age 4 until 6 (1950 to 1952), I lived on Highway 30 in Ames, Iowa. My whole world drove past me on that 3,000-mile road. I owned about 40 yards of it. My greatest memory was of caravans …
Dewey Birdsall
Who is this guy? At age 26, I’m managing a Ramada Inn in Coralville, Iowa. My boss, Rueben Drieling, calls and says he’s sending out Dewey Birdsall to put in new carpeting. “Take good care of Dewey.” So the next day, Dewey Birdsall shows up ready to start work on …
Tidying up
I was pretty ill for a week or so. I won’t bore you with the details, but I thought I was a goner for the first few days. I’ve never had a fear of death. However, I would feel a tinge of sadness about missing out on friends, family and stuff happening tomorrow. Since I …
Big decisions in July
This week, I’ve been reminiscing about past Julys. What has made the month memorable for you over the years? Here’s one of mine: It was a muggy July night in 1958 when I learned my life was about to change in a big way. I was walking back from playing basketball …
Hanky-panky
I was about seven years old. I traveled with my dad, Vern, as he made sales calls to farmers in Indiana. Several nights, we watched minor league baseball games with a nice lady, Martha. I got to eat popcorn and Coney dogs and sleep on Martha’s couch with her dog, …