I remember when my wife and I have lived with our son and daughter-in-law, it’s been a great experience for us and a wonderful time connecting with our kids in a deeper, more meaningful way. After only eight weeks, we’ve gone through three phases: 1. The Honeymoon Phase For the first few weeks, everything went […]
Category: Personal Posts
Blog posts by Peter DeHaan, many of which are in his book Woodpecker Wars.
I’ve Got Water, How About You?
Although April began with the proverbial showers that are reputed to bring May flowers, it has been quite arid the past two weeks. So much so that I have had to resort to watering my lawn. I feel a bit guilty doing so. You see, as I dump hundreds of gallons of pure, clean water on […]
Do You Lie to Your Doctor?
At work I received a shocking press release. In part of it said, “It’s an open secret in healthcare communities: patients lie.” The reasons were many. Some lie because they don’t want to admit unhealthy behaviors to their doctors. For others, by not voicing a concern they subconsciously deny its existence. Still, others make their […]
Seeing Life Like a Child
Lessons From a Kid’s Matinée I’m a bit of a movie buff and most any genre will do. I still remember when my wife and I went to our local theater to watch the children’s movie, The Smurfs 2. It was a matinée no less; we were by far the oldest people there. I enjoyed […]
Happy St. Patrick’s Day
We just recently celebrated St. Patrick’s Day. Though most view it as a secular holiday, the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day has a religious origin. This has been lost over time, with his work and accomplishments having been long forgotten by most people. After embarking on your favorite St. Patrick’s Day rituals and routines, don […]
Daylight Saving Time
Last weekend, most of us in the United States had set our clocks forward one hour for our springtime jump into Daylight Saving Time (DST). We will stay in this mode for seven months, at which time we will “fall” back to “normal time.” This means that every man, woman, and child in the US […]
How Much Does it Cost?
I’m not one who spends money easily or frivolously. It should surprise no one that at some point in a purchase decision I will deliberate on the cost of the item in question. Can I afford it? Is it within my budget? Is this a wise use of my money? Will I derive sufficient value? […]
One of the core tenets of living in the United States is a right we revere: “Freedom of Speech.” Within very broad limits (such as not screaming “Fire” in a crowded room) we, in the USA, enjoy the freedom to say what we want, when we want, and in the way we want. At least […]
There Has to be a Better Way
I don’t know if I wasn’t listening or am slow to catch on, but it wasn’t until later in life that I realized how to land a job: Silly me. I thought that people should just hire me because I could do the work—and would do it well. (I wouldn’t have applied if I didn’t […]
Three Kinds of Capitalism
Capitalism is under fire. Pundits take potshots at capitalism. They decry its evil nature and harmful outcomes. Indeed much of this criticism is warranted. Just look at the many people who practice it wrong. I call this, greedy capitalism. Greedy Capitalism Greedy capitalism is the insatiable lust for more. Profits, not for any real purpose […]