Level Up

A 'gulp' moment is today's cornerstone. It's about those convicting, heart-skips-a-beat seconds that make those embarrassing little beads of water show up on your forehead. It's the guilt of knowing, "I could do better."

Those interventions normally sneak up while covered in the skin of reminders. You already know you've let things slide and started living without paying attention. It wasn't on purpose - it's just well, you know, life. Perhaps it's more than that. It could be an unwelcome adjustment of a once-accepted normality.

Are you curious? You are no doubt smarter than this writer and have decided to stop reading so that no interrupter of conscience gets in your way today. I completely understand - see you next week.

For the rest of us, here's the baseline. It's called the Golden Rule. It was probably something you learned in kindergarten.

Missing Fall Colors

Am I yet too early?

It's been years since I remember being wowed by the season of exuberant and lively splashes of red, orange, yellow, green, and brown.

Living in Ohio, I could never find that elusive 'peak'. I rationalized that my mistake was my inability to figure out the timing because I was unfamiliar with this part of the country. But I'm now in Iowa wondering why everything changes from green to brown, sans any inspiring color. The sidewalks are full of dry leaves. I found a couple of examples of the condition of these sidewalk leaves, but when seeking treetops, the only words coming to mind say, "Nothing to see here, folks." 

But the other day, I found one! I stopped in my tracks and took a photo because - I had to!