Growing Bolder Community

I don’t feel 40. Not even close, actually. At least I didn’t until February 22, 2010. That is a date that will live in infamy for me. I did something that day that many would just shrug off. Some might even say, “I think you’re losing it, Mike.” Maybe I am. I did something that day that I once told myself I would never do. I COULD NEVER do. I’ve even mocked those who have done it...

My name is Michael and I'm turning 40. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. That's not going to happen for another 13 weeks...(13 weeks from today to be precise). I know. I know. I know what you might be thinking. 40 you say? Big deal. I remember turning 40 years ago. Or maybe you're thinking...40? Gosh...that's sooooo old. Or perhaps you're even thinking...Whew! I'm glad I'm not the only one...

George Burns once said, "Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family...in another city." This past weekend, my wife and I traveled to that city to see some of my family. We headed west towards Tampa to the town of Palm Harbor, Florida. We had planned to visit my mom's side of the family whom we hadn't seen in several months. Originally, we thought we would find ourselves using...

There are three things in life that I've been pondering since I was old enough to think for myself. My beliefs about these ideas are in part what shapes the way I lead my life today. Although they are very different concepts to most people, I see them as three ideals that complement each other quite well in my life. I was raised in the Jewish faith. I learned about God at a very young age when I...

Several years ago, when I worked at a local television station, I was engaged in a conversation with a news anchor friend of mine. As he was preparing to go on the air, with less than 30 seconds until the start of the broadcast, he said to me, "Michael, what if I could tell you the secret to living a long and healthy life?" I said, "Sure, Marc. Please. Enlighten me." He continued, "What if I told...

A little more than a year and a half ago, I walked into my twentieth high school class reunion. (But before I go on...I have to first give a quick shout out to my fellow classmates of Lyman High School's Class of 1988..."Hey! Hey! How 'Bout Them Hounds!!!" (Insert gratuitous barking noises here)). While some people look forward to going to their high school reunions others dread even the thought...

This is my first "baby boomer" post on Growing Bolder. When I look in the mirror, I see a different face with a few more wrinkles and one that looks more and more like my mother's. I see a body that could use a makeover and some much needed relief from menopause. But I also see a woman who has been abundantly blessed! I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning...

One of my guilty pleasures –as it turns out, I have a few of them-- is pickles. Under the cover of darkness, when no one is looking (guilty pleasures are best carried out clandestinely), and armed only with a cocktail fork stolen from my best friend, Booger Wadsworth’s last birthday bash, I do a shifty-eyed slink into the kitchen. No plate, no napkin. Just me … the fork … and a jar of...

I want to take a few minutes and share with you my thoughts on living in a virtual world. I am approaching my 58th year of living in an actual world, and I must admit that I am a long way from having that mastered. Now, thanks to creative folks like Mark Middleton and Bill Shaefer I have the opportunity to end up in a totally new realm. I enter this realm with both optimism and apprehension. First...