Blog posts by Peter DeHaan, many of which are in his book Woodpecker Wars.
It seems that I’ve recently heard a lot of complaints about this “younger generation,” known as the Millennial Generation or Generation Y (those born after 1984—or between 1980 and 2000—depending who’s doing the explaining). Employers moan that Millennials don’t want to work: they arrive late, lack motivation, and do not make good employees. Customers complain […]
I was talking with a 20-something friend and tossed out the phrase “postmodern.” His ears perked up and he asked what it meant. “You’re postmodern,” I spontaneously asserted. “I know; that’s what people tell me,” he replied,“but what’s it mean?” “First there is one aspect of postmodernity that doesn’t fit you,” I clarified. “Most postmoderns […]
My least favorite task is making collection calls, but it was again time to do so. Although it took less than an hour, I spent more than a day getting psyched up for this distasteful task. I find that I am quite adept at finding other things to do (which are decidedly more interesting and […]
Are you wealthy? Your initial answer on “No” is probably the same as mine was, but I’ve since learned that I was wrong. My eyes were recently opened to a new reality concerning my relative financial well-being in this global economy. The website www.globalrichlist.com (which, unfortunately, may not be working anymore) shows how you rank. […]
Although I avoid making New Year’s resolutions, I do set annual goals. What’s the difference? Maybe nothing; maybe everything. To me, resolutions are akin to wishful thinking, with low expectations for success. Goals are concrete, with stated action and quantifiable results. I don’t think I’ve ever made a New Year’s resolution. If I discover something […]
As a college freshman, my son’s dorm celebrated November by setting aside their shaving gear for the entire month. They called it “No-Shave November.” Though the purpose was to raise cancer awareness, I suspect they just did it for fun. My son embraced the challenge, relishing the comradery with his dorm mates as they tried […]
I’ve been thinking a lot about vacations lately. It’s been years since I’ve taken an annual two-week break from work. This year is no exception. I wonder if this is wise. I suspect employers began offering vacations to long-term employees as a reward for their service, expecting workers to return from their two-week sojourn rested […]
Winter, as measured by the amount of snow and extreme cold, has dragged on for too long. I’m ready for spring. A milestone that signals the approaching of a new season is the annual switch to daylight saving time (DST). In case this isn’t on your calendar, get ready. It occurs in a few days, […]
I’m fortunate to have many valued friends in my life. Some of us get together once a month for our writers critique group, where we help each other improve as writers. Collectively, we write non-fiction, memoir, poetry, and an array of fiction. Regardless of the genre, the important thing is that we encourage one another […]
What We Can Learn from My Overflowing Bookshelves I really enjoy books. I like to read them and I like to buy them. My library collection is vast, falling into six categories: 1. Worth Keeping I enjoyed reading these manuscripts, and I’ll refer to them again. 2. Reference Materials Some of my books contain information […]