Life Lessons in the Mahjong Tiles

Life Lessons in the Mahjong Tiles
Essays, Stories, Adventures, Dreams Chronicles of a Footloose Forester By Dick Pellek   Life Lessons in the Mahjong Tiles   Who among frequent computer users does not occasionally play a game or take an anonymous on-line quiz?  Call the practice a diversion, a habit, or an addiction…but one thing is clear,...
Continue reading
  2710 Views
  0 Comments
2710 Views
0 Comments

But Don't Take My Word For It

But Don't Take My Word For It
Essays, Stories, Adventures, Dreams Chronicles of a Footloose Forester By Dick Pellek     But Don’t Take My Word For It     Trolling the waters of Internet social sites leads to the realization that among the millions of people who choose to respond with comments, there are the cautious ones,...
Continue reading
  2569 Views
  0 Comments
2569 Views
0 Comments

Simple Questions: Complex Answers

Simple Questions: Complex Answers
Essays, Stories, Adventures, Dreams Chronicles of a Footloose Forester By Dick Pellek     Simple Answers: Complex Questions   Did you ever notice that some people in a group get irritated when you give a complex answer to a seemingly simple question? Or, conversely, when you give a simple answer to...
Continue reading
  7854 Views
  3 Comments
7854 Views
3 Comments

The Angels and Heroes Exercise to Express Gratitude

The Angels and Heroes Exercise to Express Gratitude
Angels and Heroes Exercise "Feeling Gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it." - William Arthur Ward   An 'Angel' is the one whose kindness and love sustained you as you have grown, faced difficult times and personal loss. A 'Hero' is the one who inspired you...
Continue reading
  3603 Views
  0 Comments
3603 Views
0 Comments

The Ignominious Death of the Extended Family

The Ignominious Death of the Extended Family
    Like a slow-motion train wreck, with nary a whimper or a scream, the extended family and all the benefits it provides are disappearing one ‘byte’ at a time.     The typical American family has changed over the last couple of generations from predominantly ‘extended families’ to majority ‘nuclear families’....
Continue reading
  2652 Views
  1 Comment
2652 Views
1 Comment

ELDERCARE: CHANGING THE DYNAMIC OF THE FAMILY VISIT

ELDERCARE: CHANGING THE DYNAMIC OF THE FAMILY VISIT
  When the generations of a family stop interacting on a daily basis the spontaneity of the interactions begins to suffer. Likewise, family visits with an elder under care become stilted and awkward, and ultimately less frequent. Changing the dynamic of the family visit to become engaging, rewarding, purposeful and productive...
Continue reading
  2478 Views
  0 Comments
2478 Views
0 Comments

Why Footloose Forester Won't Write A Novel

Why Footloose Forester Won't Write A Novel
Essays, Stories, Adventures, Dreams Chronicles of a Footloose Forester By Dick Pellek   Why Footloose Forester Won’t Write A Novel As snippets of clichés and other prompts for new chronicles popped into his head, the Footloose Forester decided that at least two of them were determining factors in his decision to...
Continue reading
  1805 Views
  0 Comments
1805 Views
0 Comments

Virtual Immortality

Along the Elizabeth River waterfront on the southwest corner of Town Point Park in Norfolk, Virginia, is the Armed Forces Memorial that features 20 letters written home by U.S. soldiers and sailors who died serving their country from the Revolutionary War up to and including the Gulf wars.  The letters appear...
Continue reading
  1850 Views
  0 Comments
1850 Views
0 Comments

The Wisdom of Charles Schultz and Peanuts

Famous people get all the adoration and recognition. But Peanuts creator, Charles Schultz, helps us recognize the real heroes in our lives, whose story should be part of our own legacy. The questions below should inspire you to share a legacy story! Just read the questions to this quiz. You don't...
Continue reading
  3172 Views
  1 Comment
3172 Views
1 Comment

Ultimate MEMCOM

Ultimate MEMCOM
On the road...again!!! Essays, Stories, Adventures, Dreams Chronicles of a Footloose Forester By Dick Pellek     Communicating on Social Media   When I review the number of friends or subscribers that traffic counters on social media sites tell me that I have, it is a bit dismaying to think that...
Continue reading
  3216 Views
  4 Comments
3216 Views
4 Comments

10 Mother's Day Memory Triggers

10 Mother's Day Memory Triggers
10 MOTHER'S DAY MEMORY TRIGGERS Mother's Day is the perfect time to write or record a legacy story about your Mom.  Here are 10 memory triggers to get you thinking:   What saved item mostly fondly reminds you of your mother? Describe one of your mother's unique personality traits. What advice...
Continue reading
  2595 Views
  0 Comments
2595 Views
0 Comments

Stand Your Grounds

Stand Your Grounds
On the road…again! Afghanistan to Zambia Chronicles of a Footloose Forester By Dick Pellek     Stand Your Grounds (Opinions Count, But Facts Matter)   It was an innocent remark.  Our house guest suggested that our morning coffee was too strong because we used too many scoops of coffee grounds.  We...
Continue reading
  2241 Views
  0 Comments
2241 Views
0 Comments

THE ROAD TO HELL IS PAVED WITH GOOD INTENTIONS!

THE ROAD TO HELL IS PAVED WITH GOOD INTENTIONS!
Few things in life are more valuable to a family than an elder's life lessons and experiences. Most family members realize this and have every intention of one day taking time to have that special "legacy talk." Unfortunately, because of life's distractions and the convenience of social media, that day rarely...
Continue reading
  2753 Views
  0 Comments
2753 Views
0 Comments

Tell Your Life Story in Episodes

Tell Your Life Story in Episodes
If you've ever binge-watched a show on Netflix or any of the other platforms, you know how the first episode compels us to watch the next until the end of Season 1.   When it comes to telling your life story, why not conceptualize in the same way? After all, you...
Continue reading
  2472 Views
  9 Comments
2472 Views
9 Comments

Change Your Razor Blade--On Demand

Change Your Razor Blade--On Demand
Acer rubrum To Zyzyphus jujuba Essays, Stories, Adventures, Dreams Chronicles of a Footloose Forester By Dick Pellek     Change Your Razor Blade—On Demand   Sometimes finding a news story to comment on is not always an obvious topic of interest to everyone. An essay about razor blades is far from...
Continue reading
  2826 Views
  0 Comments
2826 Views
0 Comments

An Indelicate Subject

An Indelicate Subject
On the road…again! Afghanistan to Zambia Chronicles of a Footloose Forester By Dick Pellek   An Indelicate Subject   Sometimes it takes the stimulus of an ignorant post or meme on the Internet to finally push the Footloose Forester over the edge.  As repugnant and as repulsive as the subject matter...
Continue reading
  2393 Views
  0 Comments
2393 Views
0 Comments

Interviewing Aging Elders

Whether you are a professional caregiver or have finally gotten around to asking an aging relative to share their life stories, be prepared for the unexpected. As enthused as you might be to hear some amazing life experiences, the elder may not be so much.   Young people today are living...
Continue reading
  24678 Views
  0 Comments
24678 Views
0 Comments

Memory of the Month

Memory of the Month
Although it is important to sort out and document legacy stories from your past, not all of your defining moments and milestone events happened in your distant past. In fact, you are still making history every single day, mostly being recorded in real time on smart phones, tablets and in social...
Continue reading
  2441 Views
  1 Comment
2441 Views
1 Comment

Why Legacy Matters to Estate & Succession Plans

Why Legacy Matters to Estate & Succession Plans
Chart courtesy of Allianz American Legacies Pulse Survey      There is a huge unmet demand to provide a solution that can marry the client’s values with their valuables. Advisors need to know that their client’s life experience, the lessons learned and hard won wisdom cannot be listed on a balance...
Continue reading
  8777 Views
  0 Comments
8777 Views
0 Comments

New Program Wins Heart Strings & Purse Strings

New Program Wins Heart Strings & Purse Strings
When it comes to binding the generations of the family, heartstrings are stronger than purse strings.      I had the opportunity to meet Dennis Stack, one of the co-founders of  LegacyStories.Org  at our Tri-Annual Retreat in Phoenix. Formed in 2008, Legacy Stories provides values-based legacy education to consumers and professionals....
Continue reading
  2716 Views
  0 Comments
2716 Views
0 Comments