The season may be coming to an end, but it has been a wondrous season and I have no complaints.

The season I’m referring to is the season of Walden Pond. It began for me a little later than I would have liked, just past mid-May, but I have missed few days since and have enjoyed virtually every second of every minute that I have been in the water. Even today, with the temperature approaching the mid-50s.

To swim as many days as I have at the pond – close to 150 – a number of factors...

There are times when words seem inadequate, but sometimes that is all we have and so we try to do the best we can.

France and the French people suffered a terrible tragedy this week, and the early death toll of more than 100 will surely rise. A concert hall, a football field, restaurants and other locations where people gathered in large numbers were scenes of destruction and killing as bombs and AK-47s shattered the night air in and around Paris.

In the aftermath of these gruesome...

In the final analysis, it really is all about chance decisions and the encounters that occur because of them, is it not?

The decision to stay in bed for a little longer on a certain day and then narrowly avoiding – or causing – an accident on the highway because you’re trying to make up time. Or convincing yourself to go to the gym when you’re just a little too tired, but know that you really should. Or just saying yes, when you know that no is the right answer.

I know I need to...

We all, for various reasons, have our favorite months, don’t we?

For many, it’s their birthday month. After all, it’s always nice to receive something, even if it’s only a bit of recognition, for having made it once again.

For others it might be a seasonal sort of thing. April or May when flowers burst into bloom, perhaps July when the water warms and the sun hangs high over your favorite beach, or maybe October when the leaves splash forth with their vibrant colors and the trees seem...