I recently had a pop-up on Facebook regarding not hearing about the Bermuda Triangle anymore. I recall growing up in the 1970s and hearing frequently about boats and airplanes disappearing in that location. As time went on I realized it was no longer in the news. With the recent pop-up on Facebook, my curiosity was piqued.
What better place to begin my research than the Britannica Encyclopedia? According to the encyclopedia, more than 20 airplanes and 50 ships disappeared without a trace in the triangular area between the northern point of Bermuda, Puerto Rico, and Florida, near Miami. Occasionally a vessel was found completely abandoned, with no apparent reason for abandonment. Aircraft flying in the area completely vanished. No distress signals were received from ships or airplanes, and only minimal debris has ever been found; no bodies have been recovered. Even search and rescue missions disappeared without explanation.
I remember people being very superstitious about the area and wondering why anyone would travel within that zone because of the numerous disappearances. Some believed the pilots failed to consider the agonic line. This is an imaginary line on the Earth’s surface where magnetic north and true north are identical, resulting in no need to compensate for magnetic compass variation. Failing to compensate for this can result in a severe navigational error that can lead to a catastrophic accident and disappearance. Others believed the ships were overcome by rogue waves, which can be as high as 100 feet and strong enough to destroy a ship or a low-flying airplane.
The name “Bermuda Triangle” dates back to a 1964 article in Argosy, an American pulp magazine. The article discusses a pattern of ships and airplanes disappearing in the area without any explanation. The Deadly Bermuda Triangle by Vincent H. Gaddis examines the history of industrial, military, and commercial flights and ships that have disappeared in the area before the writing of the article. Gaddis provides a list of ships disappearing in the area as far back as 1854. It goes back to 1840 if you include the Rosalie, which was found with everyone missing onboard except a half-starved, caged canary.
In 1881, a schooner was found that was deserted, everything was in order, and there was “evidence of a struggle.” A crew from the ship Ellen Austin went on board to claim salvage. A squall separated the two ships as they were en route to port. The schooner was found; the crew had vanished. Another crew agreed to go aboard, but again a squall separated the two ships. The schooner and its men were never heard from or seen again.
Marina Life has an article by James R. Barneff, The Mystery of the Bermuda Triangle, written in September 2023. According to him, it was Christopher Columbus in 1492 who first recorded weird phenomena in the Bermuda Triangle—strange lights in the distance, erratic compass readings, patches of white water, and a large ball of fire crashing into the sea. They encountered a floating sargassum carpet, a mass of seaweed and tropical berries, which was so thick that they had difficulty navigating through it. The article lists a series of disappearances. It begins with the 1918 disappearance of the U.S. Navy ship, the USS Cyclops. The 542-foot-long cargo ship was carrying over 300 men and 10,000 tons of manganese ore. They sent a message that they had fair weather, and all was well, but it never arrived in port. In 1941, two of her sister ships also vanished in the same area without a trace.
Over the years, various theories have been proposed regarding the disappearances, including those involving aliens, time warps, and reverse gravity fields. Scientists have noted that the Bermuda Triangle is one of two locations on Earth where compasses align with true north instead of magnetic north, which can interfere with navigation if not accounted for. Other theories include pilot errors, sudden storms, running out of fuel, and damaged ships and airplanes. The mystery is that the Coast Guard has never been able to find any wreckage in the area.
So where are we today? The article The Mystery of the Bermuda Triangle Finally Unveiled, shares that a shipwreck occurred in December 2020, when the vessel and its 20 crew members all disappeared. No trace of the ship, debris, or persons on board has been found. An average of 20 boats and four planes disappear in the Bermuda Triangle each year without explanation.
No firm explanation has ever been made, probably because there are no distress signals, no survivors, and no wreckage to determine a cause. Various factors may contribute to the disappearances, including the Gulf Stream crossing the Bermuda Triangle, which can cause sudden weather changes. The Milwaukee Depth (27,493 feet, 5.26 inches), the deepest point in the Atlantic Ocean, is located within the Bermuda Triangle. Methane gas production below the water’s surface is massive. Due to these natural circumstances, scientists believe that the ocean depth and methane gas production may cause underwater crevices to open, releasing giant bubbles of methane. This could lead to massive blowouts of gas that could suck boats below the surface and cause engines and aircraft probes to malfunction.
Why don’t we hear about it anymore? Most likely because, as science evolves, the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle has been debunked. Compasses that read true north instead of magnetic north can cause a 20-degree difference in readings, leading to navigational errors and significantly deviating from course. The unpredictable weather patterns of the area can create sudden waterspouts and thunderstorms, putting ships and airplanes into danger, and the fast, turbulent Gulf Stream can quickly erase any wreckage.
One of the main factors contributing to its loss of media coverage is that conspiracy theorists and journalists built popularity and hype around a dangerous area, when in fact, there are other, more hazardous locations. The Bermuda Triangle didn’t even make the list for dangerous shipping incidents from 1999-2011: British Isles, Bay of Biscay, North Sea; East Mediterranean Black Sea; Japan, Korea; West Mediterranean; Gulf; South China Sea, East Indies; West African Boast; Panama Canal; East African Coast; and Bay of Bengal.
The bottom line is that the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle remains a topic of debate to this day. Many minds still ponder its origins. However, scientists often attribute it to natural phenomena and weather. The Bermuda Triangle is considered safe and is heavily traveled.
In Part 1, I explained how I became curious about the reasons the U.S. did not convert to the metric system at the same time Canada was making the change, leaving us as one of only three countries in the world that do not use the metric system of measurement. This section explains what Canada did to ensure it completed its commitment to switching from the Imperial to the Metric system during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
In January 1970, the “White Paper on Metric Conversion in Canada” established the Canadian government’s policy regarding its conversion to the metric system. The document specified that Canada would utilize a single, coherent measurement system based on metric units for all purposes. They then developed the “Weights and Measures Act” in 1971 to recognize the International System of Units (SI) for use in Canada. The “Consumer Packaging and Labeling Act” in 1971 required the use of the metric system on most consumer packaging labels.
The change from Imperial to Metric took time in Canada and began in the mid-1970s. I was a high school student in the United States and didn’t concern myself with what was going on in Canada. I do remember them telling us that we needed to learn the metric system because the country was changing to that form of measurement. I also recall that there were many objections to making the switch. We did incorporate some changes rather quickly, the main one being the switch to one- and two-liter bottles of soda. I don’t remember many other changes being made.
In Canada, things were rolling along at a gradual but steady pace:
Temperatures in Celsius beginning April 1, 1975
Rain and snowfall in millimeters and centimeters starting September 1975
Road signs showing speed limits in kilometers in September 1977
Speedometers and odometers in cars are manufactured in metric units beginning January 1979
Gas stations were pricing and dispensing gasoline and fuel in liters in 1979
Fabrics and home furnishings were required to be advertised and sold in meters and centimeters beginning in December 1980
Conversion of food weight measurements for advertising and pricing in metric units, starting December 1983.
We tend to assume Canada is solely metric, rather than the melting pot of systems that actually exist there. Canadians still use imperial units rather than metric in some areas. In 1985, Canada exempted some small businesses from the requirement of metric sales. Other requirements were also revoked, including the use of metric alone for measuring gasoline, diesel fuel, and home furnishings.
Even given these leniencies to a complete change, if you travel to Canada, be prepared for your speed limits and mileage signs to your next stop to be in kilometers, gasoline is sold in liters, and if grocery shopping, have a calculator/cell phone handy to make conversions from metric sizing to imperial sizing. This information is especially helpful when determining the size of ingredients for a recipe.
Being a lifelong resident of the United States, I didn’t delve as deeply into Canada’s history of its measuring system conversion as I did into my own country’s. Watch for Part III, where I’ll give the United States’ history and why it failed to complete the conversion.
Listening to a weather forecast on a Canadian TV station, the temperatures are given in Celsius. Paul, who grew up in Canada, makes the mental conversion easily. Paul grew up using the Imperial system of measurement, which is used in the United States. After he was an adult and had immigrated to the U.S., Canada converted to the metric system. Paul is an electrician, a profession that uses the metric system of measurement. That, combined with his frequent travel to Canada, means he is familiar with both systems and believes the metric is a more accurate means of measurement.
Paul frequently comments that the U.S. was supposed to make the conversion to the metric system when Canada did, but failed to fulfill their promise. I recall being in grade school when we were told that the United States would adopt the metric system. I wondered how valid Paul’s repeated comment was, so I delved into researching the topic.
Canada was making the transition at the same time and completed their conversion between 1970 and 1985. The United States never finished the conversion, despite agreeing to do so, and continues to use the Imperial System today. That made me wonder, why did Canada succeed, and we didn’t?
In my opinion, the U.S. failed to complete the conversion due to a lack of effort and unwillingness to invest in implementing the change. Businesses opposed the cost of having to retool and adjust standardized measurement systems, including bolts, pipes, and nuts, to metric measurements. The Metric Conversion Act of 1975 [ https://usma.org/laws-and-bills/metric-conversion-act-of-1975 ] made the metric system preferred, but not mandatory. This, combined with public resistance and the government’s inability to enforce the change, led to the failure to implement the change.
As of today, the United States is only one of three countries (the United States, Liberia, and Myanmar (Burma)) worldwide using the Imperial measurement system. The Imperial system [ https://www.britannica.com/topic/Imperial-unit ] (also known as the British Imperial system) originated from the British Empire, which ruled many areas of the world between the 16th and 19th centuries. Although the U.S. Founding Fathers made numerous changes in governing style when obtaining independence from Britain, they decided to maintain the Imperial system of measurement, despite the metric system growing in popularity.
Rather than adopting it in its original state, the United States devised its own version of the Imperial system, known as the U.S. Customary System. It uses measurements of feet, pounds, and miles, but differs slightly from the British Imperial system. The most substantial difference is in volume:
The U.S. Customary fluid ounce is 29.573 ml; the British Imperial fluid ounce is 28.413 milliliters.
The U.S. Customary pint is 473.176 ml (16 fl. oz); the British Imperial pint is 568.261 ml (20 fl. oz).
The U.S. Customary quart is 0.94 L (32 fl. oz); the British Imperial quart is 1.13 L (40 fl. oz).
The U.S. Customary gallon is 3.78 L (128 fl. oz); the British Imperial gallon is 4.54 L (160 fl. oz).
The reason for creating the Customary version of the Imperial system was that the metric system was not yet fully developed. The Founding Fathers had a desire to establish a unique national identity and infrastructure, and tweaking the system to make it unique to the U.S. was their way of achieving this goal.
Myanmar (Burma) and Liberia use the Imperial system but are transitioning to the metric system; neither has a predicted completion date. Once their conversions are final, the U.S. will be the sole user of the Imperial system. In 2021, the British government announced plans to return to the Imperial system during its exit from the European Union. The changeover began but was abandoned in 2024 after consulting with the public and discovering overwhelming support for using metric units. They do still use the imperial system for things such as beer sales, road speed, and distance signs, and body measurements.
Although I found the metric system difficult to learn as a child, our government failed its citizens by not enforcing a complete change in the 1970s. A full conversion would have served business owners better in international trade negotiations and put us on equal terms with all foreign lands in understanding measurements when traveling.
All countries worldwide, including the U.S., Myanmar, and Liberia, have adopted or legally sanctioned the International System of Units (SI), the modern form of the metric system. Canada and the United States are both melting pots of the Imperial and Metric measurement styles.
Watch for Part II and Part III in upcoming blogs, which will deal with the law and the Canadian conversion, the laws and the United States conversion, and where the United States stands today.
I decided to share the link to an article published in the March-May edition of Michigan’s Freshwater Reporter. Michigan is known for being a free state that helped freedom seekers via the Underground Railroad. That information is accurate, but Michigan citizens also were slaveholders. You can learn more about this by checking out Michigan’s hidden history of slave ownership on page 4 of the Freshwater Reporter.
I recently heard a comment that a 30-second spot for advertising during the 2025 Super Bowl was $8 million. In addition to the game-time advertising, Fox Network, which aired the game, also sold pre-game ad slots for about $4.5 million each and post-game ad spots for around $4 million each. Fox sold out its ad inventory early. Some companies, including Busch Light, ran two ads during the game, doubling their costs.
Super Bowl advertising is expensive because the advertiser has the potential to reach about 100 million viewers. While the added revenue generated by these ads is great for the big-name companies that can afford it, I wonder how many people those companies could help by using those funds in another way, especially when I learned their actual bottom-line cost.
In 2025, 57 commercials aired during the game, earning the Fox Network approximately $456 million in game-time advertising revenue. The year 2025 was record-breaking, and the combination of pre-game, game-time, and post-game advertising generated almost $700 million in revenue for the network.
Fox makes that for the advertising spot, but the cost for the companies who advertise is considerably higher, and so is Fox Network’s revenue. The ad agency cost for Super Bowl work is an average of $3 million to $6 million, film production costs are $3 million to $4 million, and post-production work such as visual effects, sound, and editing is around $1 million. Music licensing expenses are between $3.5 million and $5 million.
Those advertising costs do not include the fees that must be paid for the ad spokesperson. A non-celebrity will run about $250,000, a B-list celebrity about $1 million, and a more realistic celebrity appearance is between $3.5 million and $5 million.
In addition to those production and celebrity costs, advertisers need to spend additional funds on digital and social media ads and any additional activations, which adds another $3 million to $10 million to the final cost.
Now, remember that $8 million 30-second ad? Fox Network requires advertisers to commit an additional $8 million for media commercial time for the upcoming year, which means that the 30-second spot is a $16 million commitment.
The final cost for purchasing a Super Bowl Ad is about $40 million per ad. With 57 ads sold during 2025, that works out to about two billion two hundred eighty million dollars ($2,280,000,000).
I realize my thoughts about how that money could be better spent will never materialize because Super Bowl ads generate a lot of revenue for advertising companies. That doesn’t stop me from wondering what would happen if those companies produced low-cost commercials notifying watchers that rather than spend $40 million on creating an advertisement, they spent the minimum advertising contract and created a simple ad to inform consumers they have donated the difference in expenditures, approximately $24 million, to homeless shelters, food banks, soup kitchens, building low-income housing, natural disaster relief, etc.
If you saw an advertisement like that, would it make you more or less inclined to purchase their products? Think how beneficial this type of action could be to the citizens of this country. Making this country great means helping others improve their lifestyle and achieve success. Is a $40 million commercial helping America? Could those funds be used better elsewhere?
As of January 2024, the Department of Housing and Urban Development reported over 771,000 homeless people in the U.S. Reasons for this status include ending COVID-19 relief programs, higher housing costs, and immigration to big cities. People experiencing homelessness include almost 150,000 children under 18.
According to the Working Poor Families Project, 47.5 million people in the U.S. live in low-income working families, including 23.5 million children. In 2011, more than four in 10 working families were low-income working families in Arkansas, Mississippi, and New Mexico. Between 2007 and 2011, low-income working families increased by 5% in Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, and South Carolina. These families spend more than one-third of their income on housing and, in doing so, exceed the accepted guideline for affordable housing.
Imagine back to when you were in the 8th grade, about 14 years old. You must make a decision that impacts the balance of your time in school. You can take a vocational program, which you attend to grade 12, or a university prep program, which you attend to grade 13.
Once you make your decision, you cannot change to the other program. Now, consider being that 8th grade boy and before you make that decision your school principal informs you that you aren’t “smart enough” for college, so you better go vocational.
That is the way school in Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada was in the mid-late 1950s when Paul Cannon attended. He followed the advice of his principal. The question is, after hearing the principal’s assessment of his abilities, what did Paul do with his life?
The Teen Years
Paul was not afraid of water, and unbeknownst to his mother he and his friends would climb Inglis Falls in the summer. This was the largest of the four waterfalls in town and has a 59-foot cascade. I’ve seen in the fall with a slow flow of water. It is huge!
Inglis Falls in Owens Sound, Ontario Photo by Grace Grogan
When Paul was about 14-15 years old he became certified as both a swim instructor and a lifeguard. He worked as a lifeguard at the community pool and taught swimming to adults and children both there and at the YMCA.
Paul was interested in science and technology, and around age 16 he and three friends learned about an Army surplus store in Toronto selling non-working ham radios for parts. The store had ten radios, and they purchased them all. The intent was to build two or three operating ham radios from the parts, and they did!
Paul and his friends had fun communicating on the radios for about a year. None of the teens had taken the required test to become licensed ham radio operators so were broadcasting illegally. An officer tracked them down and removed the tubes, rendering the radios inoperable. Years later as an adult Paul took the test and became a licensed ham operator.
Paul always had an interest in aviation and was a cadet in the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) in Canada growing up. The group’s intent was to introduce 12-19 year old students to flight. As a CAP cadet, Paul received education regarding citizenship, leadership, physical fitness and general aviation. In Canada today one out of every five pilots is an ex-air cadet and 67% of commercial airline pilots began as air cadets.
Bush Pilot
When Paul was 16-17 years old he got a summer job working for a bush pilot in a nearby town. That first summer Paul performed miscellaneous jobs and ran errands. When the summer ended the owner told Paul if he returned the following year the owner would teach Paul to fly.
Paul returned and became a bush pilot, flying a Beaver pontoon plane. Bush pilots fly in remote areas, and Paul’s job was to deliver supplies to cabins in the wilderness. You have probably seen this in movies where a plane lands on a body of water, docking near a cabin to leave supplies.
All pilots must learn how to read the weather, and because pontoon pilots land on water, they must also evaluate the water’s surface before touching down. Accommodations must be made for wind direction, the direction and speed of the current, and any obstacles that may affect their landing. Once on the water the pilot must follow all marine rules.
On one flight Paul was landing to leave supplies at a not-yet occupied cabin when the engine on his plane blew. Oil splattered the windshield and the plane stopped before he was near shore. Pontoon planes must carry a paddle for this type of situation. Paul shut down all systems on the plane, then climbed out to sit on one of the pontoons, straddling it like a horse. Paul then paddled his way to shore. If you think rowing a boat is difficult, try an airplane!
There was no radio communication, so Paul unloaded the supplies into the cabin and hunkered down for the night. His boss had expected him back before dark, so when Paul didn’t return the owner went out the next morning, flying Paul’s route. When he spotted Paul’s plane, he touched down so see what was going on. Paul already had the cowling off the plane, but neither Paul nor his boss had the tools or knowledge to repair the engine.
Beaver Pontoon Airplane Photo by Grace Grogan
The owner said he would be back, and when he landed the second time he was accompanied by a mechanic and tools. The owner left Paul and the mechanic to work on the engine. The two spent another night at the cabin before repairs were complete. The plane Paul flew only had one seat, the pilot’s. Once the repairs were complete, the mechanic strapped himself onto the top of a cargo box in the plane and rode back with Paul.
Bush pilots are required to carry a bush pilot’s rifle because situations such as the one above or an unanticipated stop in the wilderness can put you in danger. If Paul was flying his route and saw severe weather ahead, he would land the plane and beach it. Using ropes he would tie the plane to trees to secure it during the storm. When performing these tasks, he always had to be on the lookout for bear.
Paul continued working as a bush pilot for a year after graduating high school, then left for Toronto to attend college.
Radio College
Radio College of Toronto, Ontario trained students in electronic engineering technology and had a focus on tubes and digital electronics. Electronics technology was the wave of the future in the early 1960s.
While Paul was attending college, he lived in a boarding house with 17 other men. They were housed two to a room, with no locks on the room doors. The home was run by a single woman who ran a tight ship. She made all beds every day and washed the sheets once a week.
Board included breakfast and dinner Monday thru Friday. Paul quickly learned that when sharing a table with a large group of men there were no second helpings. You better get a sufficient amount the first time a dish went around the table. Lunch and weekends boarders were on their own for meals, but could use the kitchen and food she had as long as they cleaned up afterwards. This was a very different type of living than Paul had growing up as an only child.
One evening Paul and his roommate heard a knock on their door, which immediately flew open and in rushed the landlady. She didn’t say anything but hurried over and threw open the window, reached into her pocket to grab a pair of scissors and reached out. The next thing Paul heard was glass breaking on the sidewalk below. Apparently one of the borders owed the landlady money, and she suspected he might try to slip out. By cutting the string to the bundle of belongings the border was lowering from his third-story window, the landlady made it clear she knew what he was up to. No one knows if she collected the money owed her or just enjoyed a bit of revenge.
Paul rode the streetcar to and from college, and sometimes hitch hiked his way back to Owen Sound on weekends to visit his parents. If living in a boarding house and using public transportation bus wasn’t enough of a challenge, Paul was doing this on crutches. Paul played B-Team Hockey and did competition ski jumping. Unfortunately, he landed a jump wrong, breaking his ankle.
Paul quickly learned that in a time of need, crutches make a great weapon. One day Paul got off the streetcar and some guy, thinking he had one-up on Paul, knocked Paul’s books out of his hands. Paul may have been a bit disabled, but not unarmed. He swung one of his crutches around and clobbered the guy. A police officer saw the exchange, came over to pick up Paul’s books and make sure he was okay. When Paul left the scene his attacker was in the back of a police vehicle.
Using city transportation when dating was something Paul learned could be difficult. On one date Paul took a girl out, then escorted her home, staying to visit until about midnight. Big mistake! When he got to the bus stop he had missed the last bus in that area, so he walked down to the next line, just in time to miss the last subway of the night. He ended up walking all night to get back to the boarding house. Thank goodness it happened on a Friday night, and he was able to sleep when he arrived there the next morning.
Work and Electronics
After graduating from Radio College, Paul took a position installing and repairing x-ray machines throughout Canada. This took him into every Canadian province, a position that nurtured his love of travel and photography. His goal was to emigrate into the United States, work his way west and eventually end up in Australia. He didn’t make it past Michigan.
Immigration into the United States took about a year. Paul needed to find a job that would hold the position for six months while he completed the immigration process. He was about 23 when he got his first job in Michigan doing the same thing as in Canada. Paul was living the bachelor’s life, driving a convertible and working in hospitals throughout the tri-state area of Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana, where there was plenty of female staff to date.
Many people do not realize that immigrants must register for the draft six months after they become permanent U.S. residents. Paul registered during the Vietnam era and knew how to fly the same type of plane being used in the war. Each year he was obligated to check in at the military office, and each time he met new criteria for a waiver so was never drafted.
Career Change
Paul was talking with an electrician and learned they made more money than Paul was in the electronics field. Paul purchased code books and studied to become an electrician. Though not licensed, he got a job working for Morgan Electric. When a client requested a special electrical job, Paul volunteered for the assignment. The client was impressed with Paul’s work and offered him a job working for their company.
Paul made the job change. Always looking to advance, Paul later applied and got a job in skilled trades as an electrician at the Ford River Rouge plant. Unfortunately the plant did layoffs before Paul had 90 days in.
Needing work and the economy being bad, Paul took a job working on an ambulance. It was on-the-job training, they were not paramedics. The crew would perform basic first aid and transport patients to hospitals. This was during the 1967 Detroit riots and runs were often into dangerous areas. It wasn’t all bad though.
One run was to Governor Romney’s home. The governor’s wife had fallen and injured herself, requiring an ambulance transport. Paul also delivered two babies during his time on the ambulance. One laboring woman looked at him and said, “it’s my first” and he responded, “mine too.”
When Paul’s father notified him Pittsburgh Glass Works was opening a plant in Owen Sound and needed skilled trades workers, Paul applied and was the first electrician hired. He moved back to Owen Sound and lived there for two years. The glass plant job gave him experience in trouble shooting factory machinery, which would pay off later.
When the economy improved Paul moved back to Michigan and took a position at Allied Chemical in Mount Clemens. An electrical inspector saw his work and volunteered to sponsor Paul for taking his journeyman’s test. You cannot take this test until you have verification of 10 years of experience working as an electrician and a sponsor. Paul passed the test and immediately began studying for his master’s license.
You must work as a journeyman for a minimum of two years before taking your master’s exam. When Paul reached the qualification period he took the test and became a master electrician. Paul then started his own electrical contracting business, Trojan Electric. This electrical contract work was in addition to his full-time employment. His business was lucrative enough to necessitate employing a work crew.
While working at Allied Chemical in Mt. Clemens, Paul saw an ad for skilled trades at the Ford Motor Company Paint Plant. Paul applied and went into Ford as a re-hire. He remained at Ford as an electrician in skilled trades for the balance of his working life, retiring out of the Ford Utica Trim plant.
Back to Flying
After Paul immigrated into the United States, he checked into getting his pilot’s license. The bush pilot Paul worked for never had him keep a pilot’s logbook, so there was no record of his time in the air. Paul had to start over. Lessons were easy because he knew how to fly, he just had to master landing on solid ground.
Pilots must learn navigation and weather patterns, plus cloud types and cloud levels for flight. Paul can look down the road when driving and recognize rain that is coming down but not reaching the ground. He can also see it ahead and predict the time the vehicle will drive into it. Navigational training allows him to know the direction he is driving based on the sun.
Paul purchased his own plane, a Cessna 177 RG (RG means retractable gear) and served as an adult member on the Civil Air Patrol (CAP). The Civil Air Patrol is an Auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force that was founded in 1941 to mobilize civilian aviation resources for the national defense.
Cessna 177 RG Photo obtained off Internet
Paul underwent training in CAP to fly both counter drug operations and search and rescue. He enjoyed his time working on missions, which often ran one to two weeks at a time. He also volunteered his time working with CAP cadets, taking them up in his plane for a ride or assisting at special cadet outings. The CAP has the same officer ranks as the Air Force, and by the time Paul retired from service he had achieved the rank of Major.
Paul’s love of aeronautics led him to volunteer his time at the air show held each year in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He worked in the sound center manning the sound control for the music and announcers during the air show. This required balancing the voice and music, plus timing the music for the air acrobatics of the plane.
Paul learned to be prepared for the unexpected. A woman was narrating her husband’s performance when his plane crashed. Her reaction was a blood-curdling scream into the microphone. Paul immediately cut the sound.
Paul enjoyed his time at the air show, meeting celebrities and working with pilots to time their music to their performance. It was a week of both work and fun, affording him full access to the air show grounds.
In His Free Time
When Paul was ready to move out of the city, he purchased five acres of property in St. Clair, Michigan and built a home. Paul was the contractor for the job. He ran all electrical wiring in the home and finished the interior. This included building the staircase leading to the second floor and installing all kitchen cabinets and countertops. He did this while working full-time at Ford Motor Company and running Trojan Electric.
In addition to volunteering his time with CAP, Paul participated in a computer club and remains a member of the Blue Water Shutterbugs Camera Club. Paul served as treasurer in both clubs. His photographs are sold on Alamy and Fine Art America, and for several years he sold them in fine art shows. Paul spent several years teaching photography, originally in a classroom setting, then one-on-one. He customized lessons to fit his student’s needs, including how to operate a camera, how to take better photographs, and how to process photos in Photoshop.
Paul Cannon now lives and travels throughout the United States and Canada in a 35-foot motorhome, towing a Jeep Rubicon. I am lucky to be living and traveling with him on his latest adventures. We enjoy visiting new places and navigating off-road trails. We produce videos of our adventures and share them on our YouTube Channel, Rolling Thru North America, Travel With US!
Not Smart Enough?
Can you imagine if Paul had only been “smart enough” for college what he might have done with his life? Maybe it is a good thing he did not attend a 4-year college. Paul may have not been ‘smart enough” in his principal’s eyes, but what he has accomplished in his 78 years of life has been diverse and interesting.
Writer’s Note: This was originally written entirely from memory based on information I garnered from Paul over the past six years. After publication Paul read the above and advised me of some minor corrections needing to be made. Those changes have been made and the writing is now accurate.
While the age-old saying about hindsight being 20/20 is often used, the roll-over of the new year gives it an entirely new meaning. Regardless of what you personally think of the past year, there are likely some choices you would have made differently. This is true for any year, but especially given the horrific one we had.
Are there thing I would have changed? Not many. I would not have remained in Yuma throughout the summer; day after day of 115 degree heat is too much! The choices we made kept us healthy, except for a couple rounds of illness I had in the middle of the summer so it was not a bad choice either.
I regret not getting back to Michigan to see my kids and grandchildren. Michigan was a roller coaster ride of what the Governor was going to keep open or shut down from week to week, so we decided not to risk it. We are looking forward to our upcoming travel plans.
While death, disruption, loss of income, and depression are what many will likely recall when they think back on the past year, there are also some positives that should come to the forefront:
More time together with your spouse/partner/significant-other or any other name you call the person you reside with
More time to do gardening, crafts, hobbies
Homemade food, especially baked goods became a normal day of life for many
Kids enjoyed being home with their parents and having more family time
Truly learning what your kids are studying in school if they were doing remote learning
Less air pollution from traffic meant cleaner air to breathe
Many people learned how easy and convenient it is to work from home
Companies may now decide to lower their overhead by having more people work from home on a regular basis
Everyone has become more tech savvy thanks to Zoom, Jitsi Meet, and Google Meet
Those who reside too far away to attend club meetings were brought “into the loop” through online meetings
Vacation doesn’t mean you have to travel far
As for me, I’ve spent my time writing, processing photos and videos, and have taken a real liking to adult coloring books.
Whatever the things are that stay-at-home orders and Covid-19 brought to you, remember hindsight is 2020 and you can now envision a bright future in 2021.
Have you ever looked back on decisions made in your life and wondered What if I had made a the other choice? What would my life be like now?
Of course, the preponderances about how your life would have been different are all fiction, and they can be good or bad. So have some fun, wonder what if and see what you come up with. Here are a few of mine.
What If Wondering…What if I had made the other choice?
What if I had followed my dream of studying journalism and become a “breaking news” action reporter? I didn’t because I let my mother talk me out of it. Call is sexist, call it the era in which she was raised, or call it a mother being a mother.
But what if I had forged ahead on my dream? Would I have written great articles that resulted in a huge demand for my services? Would I have graduated from newspaper writing to televised reporting? Would I have traveled the world to exotic countries or dangerous war zones?
I will never know the answer, but sometimes the speculation leads to regret. I wish I had followed my dream. Now I write from the comfort of a motorhome while traveling throughout North America. I’m not a high-demand reporter, but I am having fun.
What if I had married my boyfriend from high school? We had been together off and on from the time I was in 7th grade until two years after I graduated high school. My parents didn’t like him. Friends assumed we would end up married. Heck, we assumed we would end up married.
Then I met the man that would become my husband. Ron and I were married 34 years when he died. If I hadn’t met Ron, would I have eventually married Brad?
Speculation is yes, but it wouldn’t have lasted. It was too volatile of a relationship. Good for a few months, then separate for a few months. He wanted commitment, but he didn’t want commitment.
Brad wasn’t ready for anything that required him to settle down and not play the field. Sixteen months after I met Ron, we married. I think on this one the What if would not have ended well. I think we are better as friends.
What if I had applied to Ford Motor Company when I had the opportunity? Ron was a Ford employee, and somewhere around 10 years into our marriage each employee was allowed to sponsor one application. He asked me if I wanted it and I turned it down.
I had always worked for small, family businesses. I was happy in that small, close-knit setting. He had complained about the red tape it always took to get anything accomplished in a big corporation.
Looking back, I may have made a huge financial mistake. What if I had applied and gotten hired? I would have worked at a higher pay scale, had my own benefits, and had my own pension upon retirement.
At the same time, maybe I didn’t make a mistake. From an emotional standpoint, I have never regretted working for small family-run businesses throughout my career. If I had taken that job, I might still be working but close to retirement.
If I had been hired into Ford I would never have had the opportunity to go to college and become a paralegal, another job I loved doing. I am now living and traveling in a motor-home full time throughout Canada and the United States. I work remotely during the hours I want.
I don’t have the benefits and financial security that job would have brought me, but I don’t think the What if would have led to as much personal happiness as I have enjoyed. That leads to my final scenario.
What if I had downsized into a Condo? After my husband passed away, I spent 2-3 years in a bit of a muddle both emotionally and financially. When I began to look at things closer I realized I was living beyond my means and needed to downsize.
While I pondered between moving to a smaller house or a condo I started separating my belongings into what I would keep and what I would put in a moving sale. Then the offer came.
Paul asked me to come on board with him and travel full-time in a motor-home. After analyzing my finances I realized it was feasible and changed my plans. I notified my boss I was leaving and started planning for the biggest downsize of my life.
Was it good decision? Yes. Travel between August 2019 and April 2020 went as planned, and we saw a lot of area. Covid-19 led us to the decision to stay put in Yuma, Arizona during the stay-home orders. We will remain here until August, when we finally hit the road again with stops planned in Port Huron, Michigan; Knoxville, Tennessee; and South Padre Island, Texas before we head back here to Yuma, Arizona for the winter.
So What if I had downsized into a condo or small house? I would still be doing cold Michigan winters and working full-time in an office. I would have spent the stay-at-home period isolated in my home by myself.
Better an Oops Than a What If
Instead I have traveled to many of the spots I may never have ventured to on my own, and there are many more to come. Some think I made a huge mistake to pack up and go before I reached retirement age. You know what I think – Better an Oops than a What if.
What are your What ifs in life? Do you regret the choices you made? Do you think your life is better because of them? Comment below on your what ifs in life.
It is sad what the United States has become in just a short period of time. As we look at the destruction created by the looting and vandalism in the past few days, it is disturbing to see how much anger and hurt is harbored by so many of our citizens.
In truth, this is not a hurt or anger created by only George Floyd’s death, when a white officer pushed a knee into his neck for 8+ minutes, resulting in his death. This came only a few months after the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, who was attacked and gunned down by two white men while out for a jog. It took months for those men to be charged with a crime, and only after a video of the incident went viral on social media.
The protests being waged following Mr. Floyd’s death are the result of pent-up anger that has continued to grow as black people are disproportionately killed by white law enforcement officers. Blacks make up 13% of the U.S. population, but are 2-1/2 times more likely to be killed by police.
What is further infuriating is that in many cases the officers are not charged for having committed a crime. If charged many are found not guilty.
A huge problem in this country is the blue wall of silence, also referred to as the blue code of honor. This is a silent code under which police officers stay silent, refusing to report other officers who exercise misconduct, criminal behavior, discrimination, police brutality, or any other unethical action. Body cameras and bystanders recording on their cell phone cameras are finally bringing some of this to light.
I was very pleased to see the Minneapolis Police Chief remove his hat and kneel at the spot where George Floyd’s life was taken, and also remove his hat when he answered their questions on the news. This shows him to be a person of moral and ethical character.
When questioned the police chief stated that he fired of all four officers because the other three officers, by not intervening, were complicit with Derek Chauvan having his knee in the neck of George Floyd for 8+ minutes, resulting in death. Derek Chauvin, who has been charged with 3rd degree murder and manslaughter. The other officers have not been charged.
I have seen many cities where police officers are walking with demonstrators or kneeling with them in prayer. This shows that not all law enforcement condone the behavior of the bad, but it is not enough to heal the pain that has been going on for too long.
Obama Administration
It was only a short 12 years ago that this country reached a milestone when it elected Barack Obama as President of the United States. This country, with its horrible history of slavery, racial oppression and discrimination, had elected a black man into its highest-ranking position. That said a lot for how far our country had come.
Barack Obama served for 8 years as president. During his presidency there were several high-profile deaths of black Americans engaged in encounters with the police and protests led to rioting:
Oscar Grant, a black transit passenger, was shot by a white police officer. Riots broke out in Oakland, California. The officer, Johannes Mehserle was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
George Zimmerman was acquitted of murdering Trayvon Martin, a black teenager, and riots broke out in Los Angeles.
Manuel Diaz, a 25-year old black man, was shot to death when he ran from police. Destructive demonstrations broke out in Orange County, California.
Kimini Gray, a 16-year old, was killed by police after allegedly pointing a handgun at them. Riots broke out in Brooklyn, New York.
The Black Lives Matter movement began in 2013. It was created to give black people a voice in civil rights. Issues included a broken criminal justice system and a higher unemployment level among black Americans. Those problems still exist today.
Black Lives Matter believes in peaceful demonstrations. They do not participate nor do they encourage looting and violent acts like those taking place today.
George Floyd’s Two Autopsies
After the autopsy of George Floyd’s death indicated he died from underlying health conditions, not from the loss of breath created by a knee on his neck for 8+ minutes, people were angry and upset. His family ordered an independent autopsy.
That independent autopsy determined George Floyd’s death was caused by “asphyxiation from sustained pressure”. The difference in the two determinations makes one question whether the first medical examiner works frequently with the police and is part of the “code of blue.” Both medical examiners ruled the death a homicide.
Where We Stand on Race
In 2016 a survey showed 56% of white Americans said the race of a subject made no difference in the use of police force, but only 18% of black Americans believed that to be true. More than 2/5 of black people said that police in their community made them feel more anxious than safe.
U.S. citizens, looking for change, elected Donald Trump in 2016. A non-politician, non-military, public figure who promised to Make America Great Again. The question now comes to mind, Is America at War With Itself?
There continues to be racial divide in this country on how people are viewed based on the color of their skin. There is inequity that results in black people being disproportionately injured or killed by white police officers.
The fact that we have protestors trying to storm the White House and destroying Secret Service vehicles says a lot about what a lot of Americans feel toward President Trump.
Where else in American history can you recall riots where Washington DC monuments were defaced?
Where the Treasury Department was attacked?
Where the White House was at risk of being breached by protestors?
When Chopper One lands at the White House lawn and is greeted by protestors with their middle fingers raised?
Why is former Vice President Joe Biden was out speaking with protestors while President Donald Trump is hiding in a bunker under the White House?
Trump Administration and Racism
It is likely that a culmination of numerous factors has led to the anger displayed toward President Trump. We are all familiar with his tweets that repeatedly insult people, make racial slurs, and instigate violent acts.
American people have come to realize what a strong racist their President is. Mayors of cities undergoing riots have asked President Trump to be quiet. To stop posting comments on Twitter that instill violence. To stop posting racial comments from the 1968 racial riots.
It isn’t all about tweets and verbal comments. His tendency toward discrimination against those of non-white ethnicity screams out from his campaign and administration:
In 2016 there was a strong correlation between Trump campaign events and acts of violence. Data from the Anti-Defamation League showed that counties hosting Trump campaign rallies had more than double the hate crimes than similar counties that did not host a rally.
Surrounding the election of Donald Trump, hate crimes peaked from October to December 2016 and continued through 2017. This was the second largest increase in hate crimes in 25 years. The highest increase in hate crimes followed September 11, 2011.
Quinnipiac University released a poll that states 80% of African-American voters feel Donald Trump is a racist. 55% of Hispanics feel Trump is a racist, and 51% of all Americans feel he has racist views.
In August 2019 President Donald Trump spoke at the 400th anniversary of the year slaves first arrived on American soil. His behavior prior to his arrival resulted in the Black Caucus of the Virginia legislature boycotting his appearance. In doing so they stated “It is impossible to ignore the emblem of hate and disdain that the President represents” and referred to his “repeated attacks on black legislators and comments about black communities” and they felt he was an “ill-suited” choice to commence that monumental period in American history.
The Trump Administration is working to roll back President Barack Obama’s efforts to combat racial segregation. This roll-back would make it easier for banks to deny loans to black and Hispanic people. It would also make it easier for cities to confine families to minority neighborhoods.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has in 2020 proposed cutting back data collection that helps track discrimination in the mortgage market. In 2015 the Obama administration began tracking patterns of poverty and segregation with a checklist of 92 questions that had to be completed to access federal housing funds. The Trump administration is trying to eliminate that tracking system. Of concern is that the Trump financial regulator could encourage banks to invest in inner city projects such as sporting arenas instead of loans that benefit local residents.
Black home ownership is at its lowest rate since segregation was legal. White rate is about 73% and black rate under 43%.
Housing discrimination complaints rose 8% in 2018, as reported by the National Fair Housing Alliance. This is the highest level since tracking started in 1995.
Trump Admnistration Civil and Human Rights Rollbacks
Between 2017 to 2020 there have been at least 79 Trump Administration Civil and Human Rights Rollbacks. Many of those rollbacks have a direct impact on low-income and racial minorities, which include:
* In February 2017 President Trump signed three executive orders to fight crime, gangs, and drugs, and restore law and order, supporting the men and women of law enforcement. Civil rights organizations viewed these orders as vague and suspicious.
* In August 2017 the Obama administration ban was lifted regarding the transfer of some military surplus items to domestic law enforcement, rescinding guidelines that had been created to protect the public from law enforcement’s misuse of military-grade weapons.
* In August 2017 the Trump administration halted the EEOC rule that required large companies to reveal what they pay employees by sex, race, and ethnicity. The rule was intended to remedy unequal pay in American companies.
* In September 2017 the Department of Justice ended the Community Oriented Policing Services Collaborative Reform Initiative. This program was created to build trust between police officers and the communities where they serve.
* In February 2018 the Trump administration’s 2019 budget proposal denied critical health care to those in need. The funding was being diverted to funding the border wall.
* In February 2018 the Trump Administration’s 2019 budget proposal eliminated the Community Relations Service which was established by the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Its purpose was to address discrimination, conflicts and tensions in communities around the country.
* In 2018 The Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education released a new Case Processing Manual that created a larger hurdle for people filing complaints. It allows for the dismissal of civil rights complaints based on the number of times an individual has filed.
* In January 2019 the Trump administration was considering a roll-back of regulations that provide anti-discrimination protections to people of color, women and others.
* In January 2019 it was reported that the Trump administration had stopped cooperating with and responding to UN investigators over potential human rights violations in the United States.
* In April 2019 it was reported that the Trump administration would not nominate nor re-nominate anyone to the 18-member U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
* In January 2020 the Department of Housing and Urban Development issued a proposal that would gut the agency’s 2015 Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule. HUD’s proposal would leave people of color, women, and protected communities already harmed by unfair and unequal housing policies at further risk.
Heal the Country
There is a very strong divide in this country. Racial discrimination and violence are at the heart of it. We are a country divided, and it needs to be healed. There is a Michael Jackson song that says in part:
Heal the world Make it a better place For you and for me And the entire human race There are people dying If you care enough for the living Make a better place for you and for me When Will it Stop?
We are now in our 7th day of protests, vandalism and looting. When will it stop? It is hard to say. We have had a President hiding in a bunker tweeting words that incite violence. We have more than 37 cities in 22 states plus Washington DC destroyed.
It is time federal and state legislatures took action to make sure that the rights of every person in the United States are protected. Treatment and protection need to be equal regardless of whether a person is White, Hispanic, Middle Eastern, Muslim, Jewish, Black, or any other nationality.
This country was built by being accepting of all, a melting pot of immigrants that created a wonderfully diverse country. It is time laws were in place that guaranteed equal treatment for all. Until that is done and people are satisfied that their lives matter, history will continue to repeat itself.
Update: As this writing was being finalized President Trump spoke in the Rose Garden. Lafayette Park across from the White House was filled with peaceful protesters. Suddenly right before the speech law enforcement moved in, using tear gas and rubber bullets to force the peaceful protestors out of the park. Why?
It soon came to light. President Trump’s announced that he is deploying the 1807 law to deploy military then commented he was going to a special place.
Those peaceful protestors had been gassed and shot at by law enforcement because President Trump was walking through the park to St. John’s Church for a photo op.
Almost immediately the DC Episcopal Bishop denounced President Trump’s use of St. John’s Church as a prop. The Bishop stated that after having military police fire munitions against peaceful protestors President Trumps actions were an abuse of a sacred space.
And So We Continue
The anger continues. People want the remaining three officers involved in George Floyd’s murder charged. They want equal treatment by law enforcement. They want a justice system that is just.
It is up to the United States citizens to regain control of their country. It is time this country becomes what it was created to be, a melting pot. Many cultures living together, all on equal ground. Equal and just treatment for all races.
You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope some day you’ll join us, and the world will be as one….from Imagine by John Lennon.
I look around, the place has more people than normal for this time of year, but it is still pretty well emptied out. Why wouldn’t it be? Who wants to stay where the summer temperatures go as high as 120° Fahrenheit?
Yet, here I am. Our original plan was to leave here at the beginning of April and visit several national parks and scenic areas through several states before heading to Michigan to visit family. Then head south and west again, hitting Sault Lake City and Colorado Springs for photography and RV conferences before going for a three-month stay on South Padre Island, Texas, followed by winter back here in Yuma, Arizona.
Those plans have been crushed by the Coronavirus shutdowns. We have extended our stay here in Yuma until at least August 3rd. We are trying to secure reservations in Michigan for somewhere between mid-August to early October, but so far have not had any luck. The state is still locked down and the few campgrounds that are open do not have long-term spots available.
Time will tell if we travel, where we will be, and when we will get there. When you live full-time in an RV, campgrounds are an essential part of life.
We are living through an event that will be written about in history books. Have you recorded your stay-at-home location and changes in lifestyle? Have you noted the schools closing, people doing work-at-home because businesses closed, hospitals overrun with patients, people wearing face masks and gloves to protect those around them?
If you have young children, have you recorded their thoughts on what is going on around them? These are memories that may be forgotten over time but will be important to future generations.
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Paul and I are hanging tight in Yuma, Arizona. I walked around the park and took snapshots of the camp, documenting the place that was full when we arrived in February and is now almost empty. A lot of the people here in the winter are Canadian snowbirds who were ordered to return to Canada in March or lose medical insurance due to the pandemic.
So where are you? Have you documented the event? Leave me your comments below.
We have all been watching the fear of the unknown unfold before us with the Coronavirus spread throughout the world, but more closely to home here in the United States.
We all need a break from the chaos, and below I am going to give you 10 positive Points to the stay-home orders.
I am in a unique class of citizens. We do not have a “sticks and bricks” home, we live full-time in an RV. Stay-at-home orders affect us a bit differently. We elected to stay put in the RV park here in Yuma, Arizona until things calm down. Being in an area where temps average 107 in the summer is not our choice, but we feel it is the best alternative if things do not calm down before then.
When I think back to one year ago in April 2019 I was winding down on the sorting out of my house in the anticipation of moving into an RV full time. I was prepping for an estate sale, selling my home, leaving my full-time job, and hitting the road. By mid-August, those things had been accomplished.
I enjoyed a wonderful fall traveling in eastern Canada, and warm winter in southern Texas and Arizona. Our plans for this summer to hit some national parks before heading back to Michigan to visit family have been pitched. We don’t know when or if we will be able to travel to Michigan this year.
The Port Huron Township RV Park we stayed in last summer is closed indefinitely due to the coronavirus. The Port Huron Lapeer Road KOA is price gouging, charging $75 per night if you want to make a reservation. Under the circumstances, our plans are in limbo.
The coronavirus has been the main focus of news for the past couple of months and will likely be for the next few months ahead. We all need is a positive brain break during our stay-at-home time. Here are some positives of the stay-at-home orders:
You no longer need to set an alarm clock. Sleep in or get up early, your choice.
You can dress however you want – casual, pajamas, the scroungy never-wear-in-public old clothes – whatever suits your fancy. You aren’t going anywhere, no one is visiting, so it’s all good.
No need to wear makeup – who is going to see you?
You can now read those books you purchased but never had time to read. Clean off that shelf and prepare for a literary shopping spree when the stay-home orders lift.
There is plenty of time to do spring cleaning. Does anyone really do that anymore?
Do the spring yard cleanup, plant flowers, ready the vegetable garden.
Clean the junk drawer, the closet, or the basement. Think how neat and organized things will be once this pandemic is over.
Lower gasoline expense – if you aren’t going anywhere you aren’t using any gas
Skim through recipe books and try some new recipes. Think of all the money you save by not eating out, shopping, going to events and concerts.
More time with your spouse, kids, significant other. Make art projects and play board games. Did out your old hobbies – woodworking, sewing, ceramics, stained glass – anything you used to do and normally don’t have time for.
Sit on your porch or deck and enjoy the sun, listen to the birds, drink a glass of wine.
Use this stay-home time to enjoy life. Someday you will be able to look back and remember the brain break you were awarded in the midst of a pandemic.
We all experience them from time-to-time. The twists and turns of life created by things we aren’t expecting or choices we make. It is what we make of them that determines our destiny and happiness.
My life was a whirlwind of twists and turns for several years, with the culmination being my decision to sell my home and the bulk of my possessions, leave my job prior to being of retirement age, and live and travel on the road full time in a motor home.
When I made that decision I knew I would need to find some type of remote work. I’m one of the lucky ones. I have a spousal pension from my deceased husband and some savings/investments to help me float through the beginning of this, but not enough to sustain me long-term. I plan to live a long time and my investments need to support me in old age! Income on the road is a must.
I have always loved writing, and one of my goals when I set off on this was to expand my writing career. When you travel throughout the United States and Canada, travel articles for magazines is a good possibility. The income generated from that is not steady enough to support this new lifestyle, and so I continued looking for part-time remote work.
I applied for and was accepted on a contractual basis to be part of a pool that writes ad-scripts for radio advertising. This is giving me some good experience, but is more of a pocket-change job than a lucrative career, so I continued looking.
I joined The Barefoot Writer, then signed up for a course on becoming a copywriter with American Writers and Artists, Inc. I had not even started the course when two days later I received a response to another contractual job I had applied for and have now accepted to write marketing blogs for various companies.
As part of a pool of copywriters I am obligated to complete five assignments per week. This includes research and writing a marketing blog that meets the clients specifications and the company’s QC requirements. I look at this as a wonderful opportunity to make money while that is compatible with the instruction I am getting from my copywriting course.
I’m sure the time spent learning to juggle work, class, travel, and photography in a time-efficient manner will leave me twisting and turning. Now, if you are a long-time reader of this blog you know that I am a photographer and sell my work on Fine Art America. I am also looking to expand my sales avenues for my photography, so add another matter to my juggling act.
I am starting off 2020 with a juggling numerous things that are the culmination of the twists and turns of my life. Here’s to what should be a very interesting year!
Please comment: What are the twists and turns you are juggling? What are your plans for 2020?
We all plan out our lives, whether it is the routine we use at work, getting the kids to bed and then up again for school, or what we will do on vacation, we all have a plan. What happens when that plan doesn’t work, or something happens that means those plans need to be changed? Do you get stressed or just “go with the flow?”
There are times when no matter how well you have activities planned, something will happen that throws a wrench into the pot — it can be job loss, car problems, an accident, a fire, natural disaster, or someone made a mistake.
In dealing with problems I have noticed there are those who get stressed, angered, frustrated, and do not cope well. There are others that may feel frustrated but seem to be more flexible, adapt where necessary, and continue on without experiencing much stress.
Why is it people are so diverse on how they cope with problems that arise in their life? Is it learned from when they were children observing their parents? Is it their natural personality? Is it something that happened in their lifetime that impacted their manner of handling stress?
In my opinion, it is all of these combined together to create a personality and coping ability that is unique to each person. A person’s everyday lifestyle, economic level, personal experiences, and childhood combine together and impact how each person will handle different challenges as they occur. The same challenge may be handled with ease by one person, but create immense stress in another. There is no right or wrong, it simply is.
A person who has always lived a financially strong life will likely find it difficult to handle a sudden loss of income that leaves them unable to purchase everything they need, much less want but don’t need. A person who grew up in a low income family or has spent the majority of their adult life with financial struggles would also find loss of income difficult, but they are more prepared mentally and emotionally to handle dealing with meager funds.
Someone who grew up in an environment where every minor problem was over-exaggerated into a major catastrophe will likely not have the coping mechanisms of someone who grew up in an “accidents will happen” and “life goes on” mindset. The first would teach you to always be on edge and the person will likely “fly off the handle” at bumps in the road, while the second is more likely roll with whatever life throws at them. While there is not a right or wrong personality, it is likely that the person with better coping mechanisms will have a less stressful life.
What about someone who has encountered war, been in a horrible accident, experienced death of a loved one, or been assaulted? There are uncountable incidents that could happen to a person which may have a profound effect on their way of thinking, what they fear, what angers them and how they react to various events. Those lifetime encounters impact their way of thinking, how they plan their life and how flexible they are.
Whatever your personality type and how well you cope with upsets to your daily or lifetime plans, keep in mind that the more flexible you are, the happier you will likely be. Stress is normal in life, and there will be times when the best laid plans are disrupted. Allowing those disruptions to create undue stress can make you more irritable and does nothing to resolve the problem. Stay calm, focus on the solution, and make adjustments where needed. Remember, flexibility does not always, but can, result in something better than you originally planned.
Hard to believe it has been seven weeks since I started my new lifestyle of living on the road full time in a motor home (a/k/a full-time RV). In that amount of time I have visited Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia, Canada and Bar Harbor/Acadia National Park, Maine in the United States.
One thing you have to do when living this way is be conservative, be flexible, and enjoy life. Sometimes things go well, and other times the best laid plans can be foiled. Highlights of my travels and learning curve:
The best laid plans can be foiled when you make a day trip three hours away only to discover that town’s power is out and all businesses (including museum you wanted to visit) are closed.
Pulling off for a quick lunch break takes more planning in a 35-foot motor home towing a vehicle than it does in a car.
Ottawa, Ontario is the capitol of Canada and is a very interesting city, but bring your walking shoes. There is one parking lot in the entire city and a lot of area to cover. If you take a double decker bus tour it is a great way to get around, but you may end up with a tour guide who has a strong French accent and is difficult to understand.
Canadians are very pro recycling The question in grocery stores is “Do you have your own bag?” not “paper or plastic?” Some stores charge you for use of their bags.
You can not stock up when items are on sale. There is no extra room beyond the refrigerator and pantry.
There is a large percentage of people in Canada who hang their laundry outside to dry….many on pulley-style clotheslines.
When living in an RV, laundry is a necessary evil that must be done in a laundromat (most campgrounds have them) every 2-3 weeks.
You can live in a house for years and never wave at your neighbors, but in a campground everyone waves at everyone else.
The architecture and culture of Quebec City, with its fortification wall, Citadelle, and French influence is like taking a step into another country.
When you travel full time you need down time. This is not a vacation, it is a lifestyle.
When you give up on the road signs being true and think you will never see a moose, one shows up on the side of the road and you do not have the camera ready.
No matter how many times you see them, the difference between high tide and low tide at the Bay of Fundy is amazing. This is where you see the world’s largest tides.
Getting your mail an average of once every four to six weeks takes planning so it arrives in a city where you plan to be at the appropriate time.
A GPS can be your best friend and your worst enemy. Our Trucker GPS in the RV took us down a road that had been re-done two years ago and no longer goes through — it is now a dead end. When towing you cannot back up because it damages the tow unit, so we had to disconnect the jeep, turn the RV around and then re-connect before we could continue. Of course it would have helped if Ellsworth, Maine had put up a “Dead-End” sign, as a woman on the road said it happens all the time and they have been after the city to do something.
In many spots what is promoted as a “scenic drive” is overgrown with nothing to see.
Convection oven cooking is not difficult, just different. The three burners on the stove-top is much harder to adjust to as it does not easily accommodate large pans.
I have not adjusted to the feel of the motor home when driving in high winds or uneven pavement. That one is going to take some time!
This is an awesome way to live and I’m glad I took the plunge and jumped in with both feet.
As time goes on I look forward to sharing more of my travel adventures with everyone.
When you live with constant turmoil you become accustomed to living as if on a constant roller coaster ride. The twists and turns of upheaval in your life create emotional stress, and yet you constantly adjust, cope, and keep on moving forward. This becomes so normal you do not even realize how much stress you are constantly under.
That has been my life for the past few years. The loss of my grandchildren to foster care and then a battle with CPS when we tried to adopt which resulted in them being lost to adoption by strangers. My son serving six years in prison for home invasion, dealing with the constant dangers that environments holds. My mother, father, father-in-law, and then my husband battling cancer and passing away, all within a three year period. My son being released from prison and paroled to my home; something I had originally looked forward to but which became a very stressful situation.
Following my husband’s death I made a determination that I needed to downsize out of my home and into something smaller. In the midst of planning for that made a decision to instead downsize into an RV and travel full-time. During this process I informed both of my adult children that I was no longer going to be able to subsidize them financially, something my husband had always done while he was alive. This resulted in more stress, but over time success was achieved. They are both now living financially on their own.
I am finally at a point where success is on the horizon. My new lifestyle begins on Monday. I closed on my house today. Friday is my last day of work. My daughter moved her family north and is now residing near her fiance’s parents, a situation that is serving well. Both Caroline and Rob are working at new jobs and my three grandchildren are enjoying life in a more country setting close to their other grandparents.
My son, now out of prison for 1-1/2 years, has obtained his CDL and is working in a position driving semi. He and his ex-wife have reconciled and are residing in a home they rent near his workplace. I am at peace that I do not have to worry about him being cold, undernourished, injured or killed in prison. I wish him success.
For the first time in years my mind is at peace. My children are both living on their own without my financial assistance, and I am going into semi-retirement. I will be residing full-time in a motor home, traveling the United States and Canada and doing part-time remote or seasonal work.
For the first time in years I can sleep without my mind churning over the problems, worries, and stress that plagued me for so long. I hope nothing happens to upset the apple cart. A mind at peace is a wonderful thing.
I have reached the point of excitement. My new lifestyle will soon be moving from life in an RV in my local area to actual life on the road. I am now on my last two weeks of work, with the 16th of August being my final day. I am training someone to take my place at work, will soon have the closing date on my house, and once that is completed we will set off on our new lifestyle.
This past weekend Paul and I opened up the “basement” storage in the motor home and got the last boxes out of my car and into the RV. Not everything is sorted and organized the way we want, but I am at least officially in the motor home totally and completely. The next two weeks will be a whirlwind of finishing up things at work and training my replacement, a doctor’s appointment, turning in my lease vehicle, finishing up paperwork, listing the second home I own for sale, and closing on the home I was residing in. In someways the day when I can “hit the road” seems so far away, and yet so close. Time passes quickly when trying to get everything finished in the final moments.
We are now starting to plan the first leg of our travels, and it is exciting and a bit nerve wracking at the same time. I am semi-retiring prior to retirement age, so will need to do remote or seasonal work while on the road to supplement the spousal pension I receive. Until I have a steady income from remote or seasonal work I will be concerned about finances. That is just me.
At the same time, if I didn’t jump at this opportunity now to travel full-time I know I would regret it for years to come. You only live once, so might as well make the most of it. What are that chances that I will ever again run across the opportunity to live full time in a motor home traveling Canada and the United States with a person with whom I am compatible who is also a fellow photographer?
I hope this is a life style we can enjoy for several years. The opportunity to experience a variety of cultures and the diversity of nature as we travel cross country is something I am looking forward to. As I travel I plan to keep a journal about my travels. I enjoy freelance writing and hopefully you will see my writing and/or photographs not only in this blog, but also in published magazines and journals.
If you have any “must see” locations in Canada or the United States, please share.
I have been, and continue to be, in the whirl-wind of trying to sort through 36+ years of belongings accumulated in my house and reduce the “keep” items down to what I can take with me in a 35-foot motor home, in which I will live and travel the United States and Canada. Needless to say, this is a monumental task. I am on the downside now, with only a few things left to complete, and the estate sale is scheduled May 2-6, 2019.
I have been sorting through old items, boxes never unpacked from when we moved here in February 2004, and family heirlooms, mementos and photographs. Those special items I have painstakingly gone through and divided between my two adult children. In the midst of all this my son has been moving out. Between working long hours and moving about 45 minutes away, he has taken a long time in the process with a couple trailer loads of items still left to move. This has made for a very stressful situation. We are now down to “crunch time” as the estate seller will need to come into the home and get things priced. My son made a comment about me pushing my sale back, but I refuse to do that. I need to get my house emptied, ready for sale, and sold quickly.
I have spent weekend after weekend at home, sorting through all my current items and those in boxes, preparing for my estate sale. Today I took some “me” time and attended the #RochesterWriters Spring Conference. I enjoyed a day of informative keynote speakers and instructors, plus socializing with other writers. It was time well spent, combining instruction in self-publishing with networking. There is something about spending a day with other writers that inspires one to write. Even though you haven’t seen me here in quite a while due to everything going on in my personal life, I find myself here tonight writing a quick blog, just to say hi and let you know I am still alive and kicking.
Once the sorting and packing is complete and I have moved into the RV, which will happen on or about April 23, 2019, you will begin to hear from me more often. As I move into fall and begin to travel the country I plan to post travel blogs of my adventures, and hopefully expand into writing some travel articles for magazines as well. What the future holds for me one can not be certain, but it will definitely be an adventure and a change in lifestyle.
So here we are, ten days into the New Year. What will it bring? Has it been a good start? What about resolutions? Were they made? Have they been broken?
My year started out in a variety of ways. On New Year’s Eve my daughter and her family were driving north to visit family when she hit black ice and rolled her vehicle twice, ending up in the ditch. The three children, ages 4, 8, and 12, were fine, as was her boyfriend. My daughter slammed her elbow into the driver’s window and needed stitches, and she had a couple scratches on her face, but other than that no serious injuries. Unfortunately the vehicle was totaled, and she only had PLPD insurance, so they are down to a single cab pickup with a family of five.
Here is where viewpoint is important. Is it horrifying that they rolled….well, yes, the outcome could have been far worse. Should everyone be upset that they are without a car and don’t have the ability to purchase another? Of course that is a dilemma that must be dealt with. However, the overall important thing is that no one suffered any severe, life-altering injuries, especially the children. So, with that we can say that their New Year got off to a good start. They came through a scary, dangerous accident without anyone being seriously hurt. Celebrate the positive!
As for me, my New Year weekend was both work and relaxing. I had a four-day weekend during which I never left the house. I took down my tree, sorted and packed items to go to my kids, and also sorted and packed items for me to take when I downsize and others to go into my estate sale. I came across things I had forgotten about, and spent some time looking at some old pictures of ancestors. Some would consider a long weekend home alone and working on household tasks a lonely, sad existence. I am on a time frame to get through all my belongings in preparation for downsizing and an estate sale this spring, so having a long weekend to work on my project was positive. Celebrate the positive!
Every year I keep a list in my “notes” section on Facebook of the books I read that year. My goal is always 52 (one per week), but I have never made that. The best I have done is around 26. Last year on the 14th of March I had only just finished my second book of the year. This year I finished my first on the 4th of January and am more than halfway through my second. I’m not holding my breath on making 52 for the year, but the odds are favorable so far. Celebrate the positive!
So now ten days into the new year I sometimes look around me and wonder how I am ever going to get through everything I need to by the end of March. I also worry about my son, who is trying to find a place to live as he is currently staying with me, being able to find a home and move out by the time needed. On a positive note, he also has quite a few tubs packed with his belongings. We can only hope that it all falls into place without a problem. I’m not ready to celebrate yet, but I am trying to think positive.
How is your new year going so far? Regardless of whether you have had downfalls or things to celebrate, remember to keep thinking positive. A good attitude can get you through anything.
That is a line in a song I enjoy by Darius Rucker, just click here to hear it. I was listening to the song and it got me to thinking about how we all develop set patterns of life. We get up, go through the same routine during the day, go to bed, get up and repeat.
The song goes on to say “Yeah, let yourself go, follow that feeling, Maybe something new is what you’re needing, Like a real life, let your hair down, feel alive, When was the last time, you did something for the first time?”
Those are thoughts we should all put into action when our life is feeling a bit ho-hum. It can be something major or something minor. Just spice it up a bit to re-build your energy and enthusiasm for life.
In July I took a 10-day vacation when I flew to Alberta, Canada for the Calgary Stampede. While it is not the first vacation I have ever taken, nor the first international flight (I flew to Mexico with a school group in 1978), it was my first time in Alberta, Canada and my first time attending the Calgary Stampede. It was also the first true vacation I have taken since 2014.
I am currently in an active sort-of first time events project. I have started doing some preliminary scouting of homes. I am planning to downsize and packing and moving an entire home, not to mention selecting and purchasing a home entirely on my own will be a first. When you have always done things with others, doing them on your own the first time is a different experience.
So, when you hear the question, When was the last time, you did something for the first time? What is your answer? What is on your bucket list? Throw out some ideas….I may want to incorporate your ideas into my list.
It is a bizarre thought, something that hadn’t really dawned on me. Then someone considerably younger then me made a comment that he was wondering how many places he has already been for the last time. He is only 30 years old! I was baffled that such a thing had entered his mind.
When you go somewhere rarely do you think “this may be the last time I am ever here.” The older you get, the more likely you are to consider such a possibility, but for the most part we humans have a tendency to expect things to always continue as they are, not realizing how precious that visit may be.
Think about places you remember with fondness, or maybe even with some sadness. When you were there did it occur to you that it was the last time you would be there? Maybe it did, maybe it didn’t. When you start rolling that thought around in your head you realize how important it is to cherish every single moment of everything you do, because it may be the last time.
My grandparents house – my great-grandfather had built it when my grandmother was only six years old. I grew up going to that house for visits with my grandparents and other family members. After my grandfather passed, my grandmother continued to reside there until she was well into her 80’s. I eventually got married, had children and took them to visit their great-grandmother in that house. The last time I was inside the house the family was preparing for an estate sale following my grandmother’s death. I can’t remember the last time I visited my grandmother in her house because one day she became ill, went to the hospital and then into assisted living, where she remained until she passed at age 94. While the property was still in the family I would from time-to-time stop and walk around the outside of house and around the yard and barns, taking a few photos. I knew it was for sale and had been for some time, but even then it never occurred to me that I might be walking on that property for the last time. Eventually the house sold and my impromptu visits ended.
Cedar Point — a very popular amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. I used to love attending amusement parks, and we always went to one as part of our family vacations when our kids lived at home. We sometimes attended them even without kids. Then I was in a bad accident and ended up with severe vertigo. I won’t go on amusement park rides ever again as I am fearful that the rapid movement of the rides might bring back the vertigo. My favorite rides were always the fast spinning ones like the spider, swings, Himalaya, and other similar rides. The last time I visited an amusement park or rode a ride it never occurred to me it would be the last time.
Scrapbook Memories in Chelsea, Michigan – This was a huge scrapbook store that held 3-day crops several times a year. My best friend, and I would meet there and attend the 3-day crops. It was a wonderful time and something we did year after year. Then one day we received notice that the owner had decided to leave the business and move out of state. No one purchased the store and it closed. Lots of memories of fun times in that store.
There are other places as well, my parent’s home where I was raised from the time I was in 1st grade until I got married and moved away. My in-laws home that holds lots of fun memories. The house my husband and I built in 1983 and then sold in 2004. I’m sure if I sat and thought there are many others. Will I ever go back to Disney World? Will I someday get back to Hawaii? When I was there years ago I assumed I would someday return, but in reality, will I ever?
Cherish the time you have at each place you visit, be it on a regular basis or only on occasion. You never know when circumstances will make it the last time.
What are the places you have been for the last time?
When I was starting this blog I struggled with a theme. Most people stick to one particular topic in their blogs, but I like to write about a variety of things because I am involved in a wide range of things in my daily life. That is when it hit me, my life is a melting pot of activities and that would be the topic and theme of my blog. LIFE IS A MELTING POT covers anything and everything. My activities as a photographer, our families involvement with CPS/DHS, travel, genealogy, family events, work, or any other topic that I feel is worthy of comment. I hope you enjoy the blog, comment often, and become a follower/subscriber.
I have spent weekend after weekend at home, sorting through all my current items and those in boxes, preparing for my estate sale. Today I took some “me” time and attended the #RochesterWriters Spring Conference. I enjoyed a day of informative keynote speakers and instructors, plus socializing with other writers. It was time well spent, combining instruction in self-publishing with networking. There is something about spending a day with other writers that inspires one to write. Even though you haven’t seen me here in quite a while due to everything going on in my personal life, I find myself here tonight writing a quick blog, just to say hi and let you know I am still alive and kicking.
--- LIFE IS A MELTING POT --- Grace Grogan...Writer, Photographer 