No, it's not a misspelling (and yes, I do make frequent use of my spell-checker). As our agrarian past fades from our collective memory, so will the images of pastoral scenes, farm implements, and, yes, even stiles. I even had some trouble finding a decent photo of one (and this one's from England, where the rural life still survives). What made me think of a 'stile' (a ladder providing access over a fence or wall) today was an interview I had last night with Rabbi Ed Weinsberg. Ed faced and overcame the challenges of prostate cancer just a very few years ago, and he's written a book that documents his story (and others) for the benefit of the 1/6 of all men who'll be facing that disease. For Ed, the experience catapulted him to a higher appreciation of faith, love, and even sex.

It's a fact of the human condition: transitions never come easily. They always appear as an interruption in the kind of life we desire and even plan for: a life of security, tranquility, ease, and peace. Yet, as I've written fairly often, the so-called 'interruption' is the reality, the sense of security is the illusion. Our 'common sense' lies to us, and tries to convince us that these disruptive events that come hurtling like projectiles into our lives are obstacles to our happiness and progress. Obstacles? Or, are they, in fact, the steps that take us up and over the obstacles? I submit to you that, just perhaps, these disruptions — even the big and painful ones — are what stimulate change and growth and that, without them, we'd face stagnation and decay. "No pain, no gain" is true particularly because every change involves a painful separation from our status quo.

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For many, thinking of summer, of freedom and adventure, conjures up going on a "road trip." With good reason, road trips can be all that and more. Speaking from experience I can tell you that the best road trip moments are often found far away from the Interstate and that the best way to find these is a good travel guide book. »more»

Last Friday, I had an unsettling experience. I've been spending the past few months scouring the web, looking for places where men leave — and find — wisdom-droppings. You know what I mean by 'wisdom-droppings' don't you? »more»

Now that the chicks are out of the nest I'm nurturing a new side effect--fearlessness. Okay not exactly fearlessness, but I'm finding that I'm more drawn to crazy antics than I used to be. Perhaps this effect is common in empty nesters--or at least with the baby boomer ones. Were we not the VW bus driving, world-changing, stickin' it to the man, try-anything generation? »more»

OMG…Is Oprah having a Mid-life Crisis? »more»

For both men and women, there are five stages of life: childhood, adolescence, adulthood, midlife, and maturity. Two of those stages are transition periods (adolescence and midlife), and these two have very many transitions in common. One of the biggest is the changes in sex hormone levels: in adolescence, they're increasing; in midlife, they're decreasing. »more»

On last night's internet radio program, I interviewed rock musician and author, Steve Mayfield, about his new album and book, Afterlife Crisis. One of the principle themes (that became a song on his album) was that, even when we've gotten through the midlife transition, we still can't find a "Resting Place" — somewhere or somehow to put down the stresses of life and catch our breaths. »more»

The road trip is the quintessential American experience. When baby boomers were young, the road trip was something that had to be endured and we wondered why we just couldn’t fly to our destination. But by the time we hit midlife, such trips have been romanticized into an activity that we can’t wait to recreate.

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Doreen Orion spent a year in a converted bus traveling the U.S. with her husband, pets and a journal to capture it all. The result is the ultimate road trip book along with the life changing discoveries that happen along the way. The book is terrific for anyone in middle age who via self-imposed restrictions feels incapable of escaping it all. »more»

We all regret things in our life to varying degrees so it is not surprising that psychologists have decided to take a deeper look at what we regret and why. Canadian blog BoomerWatch took on the topic of regret in the baby boomer generation citing the work of psychologists Neal Roese and Amy Summerville. »more»