My Imagination and Modern Physics: Just a Coincidence?

Just this morning, I was thinking about the first novels I wrote. These were the five books of the Dave Brewster science fiction series. First, I must note that I am fascinated by astronomy and cosmology. Those subjects have interested me since I was young. I was one of those people who watched Neil Armstrong, the first man in history to set foot on the Moon. I was fourteen at the time. Pretty heady stuff for a kid like me.

In those days, there was no discussion of modern concepts like dark matter and dark energy. Our knowledge of the universe was growing rapidly with each passing year, but it would be decades before those esoteric terms became common. Scientists were working to find the smallest pieces of matter. It took the Large Hadron Collider to finally peer into the guts of subatomic particles and string theory.

Back to my books. The science fiction world I created was peopled by very different sentient species which I came to love. Gas giant planets were populated by massive, winged beings who spent most of their time flying in the winds swirling around those worlds. I created floes of ice (although not water ice) where the creatures would live. Some became space travelers too.

In the second book, Dave and his crew encounter an insect-like race on a planet not unlike our own. They had created a device called a Hive. Inside the Hive, many thousands of these creatures would work together to escape the confines of their planet and search the universe as disembodied spirits. Hives are also used to move massive space ships from one galaxy to another in the blink of an eye (like traveling through a wormhole). In one of the books, a Hive is attacked and most of the creatures die. Later, Dave encounters those spirits traveling through space doing amazing things, like creating stars.

Today, I began to wonder if the spirits of those not living in physical bodies could be dark matter and dark energy, especially the latter.

As far as I am aware, science has not yet determined what either dark “thing” is, although they are sure they exist. It made me smile to think that our souls could be the engine of the universe. It stands to reason that all other creatures throughout the universe would be part of that engine as well.

At some point, our scientists may find other causes for the effects of the dark “stuff” that fit within their preferred mathematical and physical models. I look at it this way:

In the entire history of human life, we have uncovered a lot. In the current model of the universe, that “lot” is 4% of everything that is. The other 96% is dark matter and dark energy which remain concepts, and also break most physical laws.

In the meantime, I will stick with my beliefs. I think it will be a long time before science cracks the code of those concepts, where the universe came from, and why it is here at all.

If you want to know more about the concepts of dark matter and energy, please let me know. I am not a scientist, so I will not resort to jargon. Or, you can check it out online. I do recommend following the James Web Space Telescope on social media. The images they are sharing have blown my mind. All the best.

Once a Writer, Always a Writer: Fact or Fiction

In my case, that is a fact and a big part of my life. While my memory is not perfect, I know that I have been writing stories for most of my life. I recall writing short tales when I was young. I have no record of those writings anymore. That is probably a good thing. I was no Shakespeare at that age.

My interest in writing came from my love of reading. In my younger days, I remember reading several Tom Swift novels. I have always loved science fiction. My favorite author was always Isaac Asimov. Later on, I was hooked on the books by James Clavell (not sci-fi, for clarity). That takes some courage as they were LONG books. His writing was impeccable, so it was worth the effort.

Through my teen years, I recall writing several short stories. As I mentioned in an earlier post, in my high school senior year, I turned to poetry. My passion for that form waned after I graduated and went to college. Perhaps I was growing up.

After graduating from college, my writing became nonfiction, but not as books. Instead I wrote business plans, capital spending proposals, and even business acquisition plans. If you are stickler for the term nonfiction, I must admit there was a bit of wishful thinking in many of those plans. After all, you have to make the big boss want to sign off, right?

At the medical device company, I worked with their corporate attorney to analyze whether to increase our factory size, or move everything to the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. In those days, there were huge tax incentives to put employees in Puerto Rico. However, our “goal” was to keep expanding the factory in Tijuana, but we had to have a feasibility study that supported our intent. Fortunately (perhaps quotation marks should be used), the analysis showed Mexico was the better option. Whew!

When Honeywell wiped out the management team (me included) of the personal protective equipment company they had acquired, writing novels became my life (along with trying to find another job). The job search took a couple years due to my age (mid-50s at that point). But of course, there is no age bias in job placement. Ha ha ha!!!

Now that I am out of the rat race, my mind is free to write and to wander. Wandering seems to eat up too much time. Still, I write. With so many characters screaming to have their stories told, who am I to argue? When you think about it, being a writer is the most awesome job ever. Perhaps not the highest paid, but still awesome. Enjoy the day, and do not forget to write something, maybe even just a blog post.

A Brief Visit to My Journey as a Writer

It seems that today, after twenty-three days with a lot on my mind, I was coming up blank on what to write. As I sit here, I think about the books I have already written and those that did not survive the journey from my mind to my fingers and onto the page. Clearly, there is a lot on my mind, and there always has been. So, what exactly is this thing we call “writer’s block?”

For me, there are many causes. I will list some in no particular order of importance. First has to be the lack of inspiration to create. Some days are worse than others. On those bad days, I consider my story and decide that I just do not care. At other times, I have lost the bug that dragged me along the plot for weeks (aka What the heck was I thinking?). Once in a while, other stuff fills my head, and I choose to focus elsewhere. Sometimes, a new book idea will cloud my thoughts and attempt to drag me away into another story. I fight that urge like crazy!

Ultimately, my spark of inspiration returns and I get back to work. I must have some level of focus since I have written a lot of books. As every writer knows, those are all in the past. The joy of holding a copy of the next book has to wait. The writing/publishing job is a long march with many detours and wrong turns. I generally will reread my draft several times before I dare send it to my editor. I do not want to look like an idiot after all. Of course, she finds plenty of mistakes. The end of the editing process is still far away and not truly the end.

Since many of the people reading this are authors as well, I do not need to go into any further detail. We have all lived it. But my writing journey did not begin a few years ago.

While I cannot remember too many specifics, I remember writing stories since I was a young boy. They were the kind of stories young boys like: simple, short, and without an editor or audience. I wrote for me alone.

My final year of high school marked a turning point. Like most introverted boys my age, I had a difficult time talking to girls. So, I turned to poetry. The only person I ever shared my poetry with was my twelfth grade English teacher. She actually supported what I was doing! I still have those poems, but like my earliest stories, they are for me alone.

It was years later when I penned my first book (Remembrances). In those days, everything went through the big publishing companies and the book went nowhere. Some time later, my minister introduced me to an independent publisher, who has since become a friend. Between those two ladies, I had found support for my writing. Still, Remembrances was the only book published.

My big break (in more than one way) was when I was laid off by Honeywell. I wrote like crazy during the years between that job and the next. I believe I published three titles a year. When I started the next job, the rate slowed, but did not stop. It was a couple years after that when I discovered the Rave Reviews Book Club. Now, thanks to Nonnie and all the supportive members, I think of myself as an author first.

It has been a heck of a ride. I enjoyed every step of the way. In my more recent books, I have been able to explore my own beliefs and strengthen my relationship to God. What a blessing! Thank you for your support along the way. I wish you all the best, and keep writing!

Life is the Greatest Adventure

Age provides a certain introspection that is lacking from our youthful experiences, in my life at least. I have plastered my younger years on the pages of this blog for three weeks now. I wrote of bad times and good. At times, I forget how much I have changed over those decades. I think that is the true story of our lives. We all started as helpless newborns, depending on our parents for everything. Years later, we move out on our own and create new lives.

Circumstances change, jobs change, and the people in our lives change as well. Having been a military brat, change came more quickly than for most. We never lived anywhere more than three or four years. I would build a new cadre of friends and acquaintances at each stop. Not long after that, we would move and have to start the process all over. I am not complaining. That was just the way it was. Many others have had similar experiences whether due to military duty or job changes and promotions. Most of my friends along the way were military brats too. Some of you have noted that you still have friends from early school days. That must be awesome. After relocating so often, it became too easy to let those relationships go, as I knew I would only be in the new location a limited time.

Then I came to sunny California. After leaving the Midwest in mid-winter, the sun, warmth, and ocean breezes here were hypnotic. I was sold on day one, and I have remained here for forty years. That was a monumental change after my previous experience. Yes, California has grown loonier by the day since then, but it is still home.

I was a true Midwesterner. Now, thanks especially to my life with Aida, I am quite different nowadays. I understand Spanish quite well. I speak and write it too, but my comfort level there drops quickly. For years, we would watch Mexican soap operas together in the evening. Those were the days before drug cartel violence became the core of more recent programs. I used to love hot chiles and spicy food. Age has reduced my tolerance for heat, which is a shame in some ways. It is a benefit in other ways, but that is not suitable to discuss here. I still make my breakfast quesadilla every morning, except when we go to Cafe Jalisco for Chilaquiles en salsa verde con pollo y huevos.

My San Diego family became the core of my existence. Ultimately, I am a simple man. I do not need much to be satisfied. I am firmly confident about my place in God’s universe. If age provides those insights, we are all blessed to watch our hair turn gray, although I do understand those who dye their hair. I wear my gray like a badge of honor.

Satisfaction is a wonderful thing. Every life has ups and downs. When we can stop fighting reality and just enjoy the ride, it gets much less bumpy, at least for me. Now, I focus on what really matters to me. I suppose I was a fool for too long, searching for meaning in something silly like a job. Well, I learned. Better late than never. Enjoy the day.

A Brand New Day to Make New Choices- Yippee!!

I think we all forget this truth from time to time. Each day is an opportunity to make new choices, if that is what we want. I have mentioned how I have dropped more than a few stories when 10% to 80% of the rough draft was written. The reasons were all over the map. Sometimes, I lose the connection with the characters. In other cases, the story turns in ways I never intended, sometimes becoming so complicated that I shake my head and walk away. In a few cases, I realize the story has no real direction or goal. Perhaps they would have been great novels, but I made new choices.

At times, I would get upset with myself, which is never a good idea. Trust me, the internal arguments get pretty heated. Ultimately, I realized that I just did not like the story anymore. To me, that is a great thing!

Somewhere in the past, I recall someone saying, “No problem is so large that it cannot be run away from.” Today, I do not know if that was on television, a movie, or if someone I knew said those words. In most cases, that statement is absolutely true!

To be clear, I do not recommend running from every problem. There may be cases where escaping the issue is better, as it is both quick and simple. An example might be attending a cocktail party or dinner and being next to a stranger who will only talk about subjects you avoid (like religion or politics). Excusing yourself and heading for the hills may be the best way to save your day and sanity.

My most recent escape occurred when I retired at the end of 2021. The company I had worked for several years was acquired by another based in Cleveland. The head of finance and technology knew a lot about computers, but nothing about accounting. He thought he was a superstar. He was wrong. He treated me badly, as though I sat around the office all day twiddling my thumbs. Note that his office was in Ohio. He had no idea what I did. So, I retired. I knew my financial situation was good, so why deal with more silliness? I ran away.

As I noted, running is usually not the best choice, but it is a choice. That is the key point of this post. Our lives are defined by our choices. We may believe others did bad things to us, but still, we often put ourselves in those situations. Making mistakes is normal. We have all made lots of them.

Life is about choices. Choose well. If you do not, make another choice. It is your life after all. You deserve to have a wonderful life. Believe that first, and your choices will only improve. All the best.

Whew! That Was a Close One!

My post for today does not start as I intended. I tried to access my website, but my Firefox browser would not cooperate. I also tried using the Microsoft Edge browser. Same result. Thankfully, I Googled my website and it suddenly appeared. I would have hated to fail the 30 day challenge due to technical difficulties. Trust me, it is hard enough to write something on the fly. Computer glitches make it much worse. I believe this is the first time that happened. The good news is that it is over for now.

Just yesterday, I wrote about my love of computers and technology in general. Today, I had some more choice words to express my thoughts, but since I have already calmed down, I do not want to shock anyone with my naughty vocabulary.

In a sense, the misadventure with my website is an example of our life experiences, at least of mine. Everything seems great. There is nothing to worry about and I am happy. Then stuff happens, and the stuff is not often good. Like all of you, we hunker down and deal with the issues. There may be pain and ongoing concerns, but eventually we let those memories fade and we move on to the next thing.

Of course, there is also happy stuff. When Aida said yes to my proposal was one of the happiest. Our wedding day may have surpassed that. The kids graduating from college added two more. The kids got married, and now have children of their own. Four more amazing people to love. More wonderful memories than I can count. It is sometimes easier to remember the bad, and that is a shame.

When I look back on my life, much of which has been laid out in earlier posts, I hardly remember the bad events. The good ones are always at the top of my mind. We all faced adversity, but we also have had wonderful times. I cannot do anything about the bad stuff. It happened. Once you are past that event, please do not hold onto those memories. They will only bring you down, and you cannot change them anyway.

I call my blog “Join the Adventure” because to me, life is an adventurous journey. While I recognize the negative things that have happened in the past, I never dwell on them. I save most of my memory for the good things. I believe our perceptions create our outlook on life. Memories of the bad stuff only reinforce the pain and suffering of the past. Who needs that?

The good memories remind me constantly that this life is and has always been a wonderful adventure. While I am not perfect in any way, my mostly positive outlook helps me focus on what really matters. When I count my curses and blessings, I know I am blessed in so many ways, and my failings cannot compete. You are blessed as well. Hold onto the good and let the rest fade away. And prepare for all the wonderful things yet to come. I wish you all the best today and everyday.

Is It Weird to Love Finance, Science, Technology, and God?

Instead of digging up memories of my distant past, let us consider whether or not I am weird in the present. I think the short answer is YES. In truth, my fascination with the subjects mentioned happened over the fullness of time. In case you had not heard that particular phrasing, it came from two old English comedy programs called Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister. It is no surprise that the English came up with Monty Python after seeing those programs. The head civil servant and minister were the key characters. When the minister asked why government programs took so long, the civil servant would reply that the programs would work over the fullness of time. In other words, stop asking questions.

As a young boy I was fascinated by dinosaurs and astronomy. I grew up in the late 50s through the 60s. Those were great days for both fields of study. New dinosaur fossils were being found everywhere. Astronomical telescopes were getting larger and better. Manned space flight began in those years too. When Jack Kennedy promised to put a man on the moon by the end of the 60s, everyone jumped on board and we succeeded. I mentioned before that I took a first semester course in Astronomy from James Van Allen. Being around him was a dream come true. In those days, he was very grandfatherly. That only added to his mystic.

Once you are bitten by the science bug, I do not think you ever recover. When the theories of dark matter and dark energy emerged later, I was overwhelmed. Everything that had been studied to date only accounted for four percent of our universe. Whoa! That means we basically know nothing after thousands of years of study and experimentation. Unreal!

My love for technology came later. There were no mobile phones or personal computers then. In college, I recall typing a program into punch cards and handing them to one of the operators. They fed the cards into the mainframe. Later, I received my printout to determine whether I had written it correctly. Less than ten years later, I had my own personal computer at work. They still cost $5,000 in those days, with no hard drive. Barbaric!

Since then, as my children grew, I bought a Commodore 64, one of the first consumer PCs. Over the ensuing years, I build my own PC, and upgraded hard drives and RAM. Hooked again. I may be one of the few crazies who does not need their children or grandchildren to help them program anything. Another lifelong love was created.

Accounting/ Finance was an afterthought. When I went to college, I thought I would be a stock broker or some other executive. I only took three accounting classes, which were required for my degree. I graduated in 1976, which was also a recession year. Lucky me! The only job offers I had were from an SS Kresge story in Wisconsin, or an iron foundry in Iowa, less than fifty miles from the university. I went to the foundry. I just could not see me pushing around the blue light special beacon.

Careers evolve over time. I found my niche in manufacturing accounting. The foundry lasted two years. I then worked in medical device factories in Missouri and Mexico. Later I would work for an irrigation manufacturer, a hearing protection company, and a label printer. Everyone needs their numbers.

I have no complaints about my work life. It was fine, although it did not end too well, but that is okay too.

Of course, I have not mentioned God yet. I think He has always been with me. I believe He is also with everyone else. We are part of Him, and we are His children. That is my view. When life is less than great, it is easy to forget that connection. I will never forget it again. After all, He got me through all of it. Life is an amazing journey. Enjoy the ride.

Bits and Pieces of Life

I was not certain what to write about today. Early this morning, a piece of my missing childhood memory came back. It was not much of a revelation, but did put some context into those missing years.

I was in seventh grade in 1967. That was also when my father was sent to Vietnam for a one-year assignment. He had been there twice already, but his job on those two temporary duty assignments was to fly KC-135 tankers from Thailand over Laos and North Vietnam. The mission was to refuel B-52 bombers incoming from Guam. Those were high altitude flights and only for three months at a time. In 1967, he would be gone a whole year. That is a lot of time for a family to be missing the dad.

His one-year assignment was flying a spotter plane (one engine prop, single seat). He shot smoke rockets at enemy emplacements around the airport so the fighter-bombers could come and blast them.

I have mentioned the issues my mother had before. She had a very difficult year. For some period of time, my uncle’s wife lived with us to help out. My grandparents did what they could, but most of the time, the three of us were alone. I have also mentioned the difficult relationship I had with my brother. So, I was truly alone.

I have very few snippet memories of those days. That is probably for the best. It was not a good time for me. Still, the time passed and my dad came home, safe at last. He had quite a few new medals to show for his time there.

I believe that was a turning point for my mother. She had gone from okay to not good at all. After that assignment, we moved to California. He spent a few months in training while we lived in Merced. Then we moved to Travis AFB and stayed there four years. Being in the military, my dad was still gone a lot. When he was home, everything was normal. The other times, life was a mess.

When I was at school, all was good. I had my friends. I always loved school. I was in a place where I could excel. My pals and I would play tennis. I could play golf for free at the course on the base too. When that assignment ended, my brother went away to college, and the rest of us moved to Biloxi, Mississippi. That is when things went from bad to tragic for my mother. The day I asked the neighbor to help was the worst day of my life. Within a few days, she was gone.

Those memories are something else I wish I could forget, but that is not possible. Time moves on. Life goes on. The decades since that day have dulled the pain. Better things entered my life and I am grateful to Our Father for all the grace He has shown me.

We are all given challenges in our lives. Sometimes we excel. Other times, we just muddle through. 1967 was definitely a muddle year.

Politics and Religion Incoming – Run for Your Life

The one thing we all know is that we should not discuss politics or religion with anyone whose beliefs we do not already know. It is a lose-lose scenario. So, I try very hard not to engage casual relationships with either. What would be the point? It is difficult enough to find friends, so why take the chance on ruining what could be a great relationship?

Being a writer does complicate things. I write what I believe. My Revolution series was about a global collapse when governments are controlled by power-hungry lunatics. The Carl Prescott series allowed me to explore my spiritual beliefs. Of course, I did my best to fill those stories with heroes, villains, familial relationships, and lots of action. After all, it is not my goal to convince anyone of anything. If you loved the Harry Potter books and movies, that does not mean you believe in witchcraft and wizardry. It only means that you liked the novels and films. I hope my readers feel the same about my books.

In my opinion, the current super-partisan nature of many countries is making things worse. When our leaders began to talk down and denigrate the people in their own countries, those leaders have lost their mandate to lead. Frankly, if you research most of them, you will find how they have enriched themselves at our expense. They suck us dry with taxes and other mandates, and then tell us how terrible WE are. Sounds like an abusive relationship to me.

It is sometimes difficult to remember, but things were not always this bad. There was a time when political parties were not diametrically opposed on every issue. Remember when President Bill Clinton reached across the aisle to Speaker Newt Gingrich? The government accomplished great things for the following years. Something important was lost between then and now.

Some would like to put all the blame on President Obama or President Trump, depending on their party affiliations. To me, that is too simplistic. It happened before them, probably before Clinton too.

In my humble opinion, it began before President Eisenhower left office in 1960. In his final address, he reminded us to beware the military-industrial complex. Bingo!

From that moment, we all knew there was something going awry. Eisenhower and Kennedy did not feed that beast knowingly. From that point, certain politicians on both sides were sucked into the circle of that complex that fed the war machine ever since.

While World War 2 was inevitable given Hitler’s Holocaust and Japan bombing Pearl Harbor, I am not so certain after that. Some of you may remember better than I about the Korean War and Vietnam. Did our engagement really solve anything? Yes, I can see that South Korea is a great nation. How about Vietnam? Or Afghanistan? Or Iraq? Or Syria? Or even Ukraine today?

Is the United States really fixing anything in those most recent efforts? I do not know, but I do not see much progress, especially in Afghanistan, where Russia and the USA lost much blood and treasure on that foreign land.

I am not saying I have any answers. Dwight Eisenhower was a great military leader and a good president. I do not think he said those words for nothing. What do you think?

In Winter, I Am Lucky to Live in San Diego

There are many days, weeks, and months where I wish I could live elsewhere. As I have mentioned in the past, California is very far to the Left. The Bay Area, LA Basin, and Silicone Valley are represented by people who love to spend money, whether the State has it or not. Taxing the people is their reason to be. They will not save the excess water from the snow melt from the mountains to ensure the survival of the Delta Smelt, a tiny fish that amounts to nothing in the total scheme of things. Rather let the people have no water and save those fish.

I hear that our governor is considering a run for the White House. This is the same guy who shut down the state, and promptly went to a fancy dinner party at French Laundry in Napa Valley. That is an excellent restaurant with insane pricing. A normal dinner (without wine) is $400 per person. The citizens were forced to wear masks, stay home, and maintain social distancing when they briefly stepped out for groceries. He and his pals enjoyed their dinner with no masks or distancing. I heard the tab was $20,000.

I guess the best way to summarize it is that Hollywood is in California. Now you are getting the idea.

Of course, the upside is the weather, and that is why I am here. As I have aged, I have lost weight and become very sensitive to the cold. Today was a bit rainy with a high in the mid-50s. For me, that was awful. I bundled up, but still felt the cold penetrating my bones. I cannot imagine being where it snows. I have lived in Wyoming, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Missouri. I have visited Norway and Sweden for business in the winter. I must have been Superman in those days (or at least a younger man). I remember walking to school while we lived in Wyoming. I had to be less than ten years old. The windchill was thirty-five below zero. I had to walk backwards to school as the wind blown air was too cold to breathe. Amazing what a few decades will do to a person.

We do have wild fires and the occasional earthquake. I hope I am not jinxing myself, but I cannot remember the last time I felt a tremor. The fires do not affect me much either. I live close in to the city, so the fires do not get close. Wind blown smoke is all I have encountered, plus a few ashes on the ground.

The quandary remains. Would I prefer lower taxes, cheaper rent, and a government that cares for its citizens; or would I like not to freeze? So, here I sit, waiting for whatever comes next.

As a last thought, California now allows composting of human remains. Just the soil enhancer you want on your lawn. Thanks Uncle Joe! The grass looks great.