Author Archives: chuckbjames

Israel was enslaved for 400 years (depending on which historian you listen to) African Americans as slaves to the colonies began 400 years ago in 1619 The numerical facts are irrelevant. What is relevant to me is…WHAT THE HELL?? Where was God while his “chosen” people were enslaved? Where was God for the slaves inContinue reading “400 years…”

The United States official motto and first appearing on US paper currency in 1956. Who can you trust? And what does that even mean? This week has been a hectic week of negotiations with our potential partner on a big business deal and there are things they have put in the deal that we justContinue reading “In God We Trust…”

The last few days and even the last week have been pretty hectic. Work stuff has been busy (understatement) and daughter’s graduation is happening. I noticed that I haven’t been listening to Brint. I haven’t been giving him space to talk. I’m not listening. It’s all too familiar. It is in fact the story forContinue reading “I’m proud of you…”

Michael Jordan retired in 1993 and then when he came back in 1995 he announced it with two words in a fax. “I’m back” Just before my open heart surgery at Mayo, I remember asking the surgeon, “Can you connect the other scars on my chest so it’s just one big scar?” “I’ll see whatContinue reading “I’m back…”

I had written recently about Niles Crane from the sitcom Frasier cracking up after a very stressful event. He ordered a coffee and wanted a straw to stir cream in and they didn’t have any more straws. “The last straw”. He cracked and ended up naked in the coffee shop reading a newspaper. So theContinue reading “I wonder…”

The neighbor next door has the most amazing flower garden I’ve ever seen. He could teach the botanical gardens a thing or two. It has hundreds of incredible flowers and lots of species that bloom all summer long. He spends hours and hours every weekend out there weeding and feeding and planting. I, on theContinue reading “Authentic…”

Think. Laugh. Cry. In one experience I hit all three of those. The past week I wanted to see a cardiologist about the burning. First call they said they would call me back. Then call after call after call, now 4 days later….nothing. So, Think, Laugh, Cry. 🙂 I started to THINK. Is it me?Continue reading “A full day…”

I remember one time I went up in the mountains and went for a hike and there were these deer flies. I’ve never heard of them before that encounter. It was a swarm. They were like little stealth bombers. But the thing about them was they were relentless. I couldn’t shake them. I ran andContinue reading “The loudest voice…”

I recently read Trevor Noah’s book, “Born a Crime”. It’s a great read period. Not because of where I am in life but because it’s a fascinating story about a kid with a white dad and a black mom growing up in Apartheid. It was a crime for his parents to be together, therefore, “BornContinue reading “Whose kid is that?…”

Starting new meds this week. Effectively “muscle relaxants”. They gave me a light dose to start. Hopefully I won’t be drooling and slurring my words. 🙂 I admit that this week I am “sick of me”. I’m sick of thinking about me, talking about me. I’m tired of me. I have been spending a lotContinue reading “The body keeps score…”