Hurricane season. We all have different reactions to its arrival. Fear, anxiety, ambivalence and if you work for the Weather Channel, what seems to be unbridled excitement. I know they don’t mean anyone any harm, but it is really difficult not to hear the excitement in the voice of a reporter as they explain the level of devastation your community is about to experience from a storm that has the same name as that aunt of yours who always smelled a little funny.
Author Archives: Ben Nelson
Philosophy of the Closed Mouth
There is no more valuable or more humbling art, than the art of knowing when to say nothing. Unfortunately this is not a skill that seems to be embraced by our society. I understand that we all have the right to express ourselves but I think most everyone would agree, that there is just too much talking going on in the world right now and not a whole lot being said. News commentators, analysts, political pundits, weathermen and yes… politicians, seem to go on and on, like we’re being paid by the word and not for the content. Continue reading
The Consensus
“So… where do you guys want to go to dinner tonight?” This innocent sounding question can be the beginning of a brutal foray into consensus building. It only takes two individuals to participate in this tango, but to get the full flavor of how difficult making a simple decision can be, it really takes 3 couples… preferably friends. Continue reading
Well Ventilated Fourth of July
by Ben Nelson
The Fourth of July Parade has always been special in Bonita Springs. When it comes to community get-togethers, it has been part of us for as long as I can remember. You know it must be a special event, because despite it being about 90 degrees by 10:00am, there are always people lining both sides of the street, anxiously waiting, fanning themselves and sweating. But, Bonitians are made of tough stuff and if you pick the right side of the street (guess!) and are lucky enough to catch some shade or smart enough to bring some with you, your head won’t melt and you’ll see a great show. Continue reading
Mr. Taylor’s Unremarkable Resurrection
I was at the Bonita Springs YMCA yesterday, thinking about how different it was growing up in the “old days”. As kids, it wasn’t uncommon for us to play outside without any adults around the entire day. The only thing that could bring me inside was the faint sound of my mothers voice in the dusk calling me to dinner. Well… except that one time. Continue reading
These Hands
My father and I were attending a lodge function recently, when, as I was helping him up some steps, I noticed something… our hands. They were the same. They were scarred, worn and weather beaten by the sun and years of use and misuse, of manual labor. Continue reading
What Red Wall?
Sometimes we just don’t notice the changes around us; like a wall that’s been painted a different color or things that we had “better notice” like our wife’s hair being styled differently. Unfortunately, these positive changes often go unnoticed and unappreciated. Maybe it’s because the changes are so subtle. (Well… except for that red wall) Continue reading
We Hear What We Want to Hear
At the southwest corner of Matheson and Goodwin Street, there was once a lone cabbage palm next to the road. It is gone now, a victim of my first auto accident. It was 1962 and I was eight years old… a little young to be driving around, but there is family tradition involved.
My father was twelve years old when, due to his father’s death, he was left with the responsibility of driving his mother around in a Model A truck. The authorities realized that an unlicensed 12 year old could not be allowed to operate a vehicle, so they promptly gave him a driver’s license. Problem solved. Continue reading
The Journey
We are all on our own personal journey through life. Along the way, our experiences have helped craft us into who we are. When we think back, there have been people we have met, things that have happened to us and places we have been, that have changed us. Of course, genetics played an important part in our development, creating a strong foundation, doling out traits both wonderful and cursed alike, that have been handed down through generations (without our advice or consent!). And although we do have a hand in our own development, fate itself has thrown us a few unexpected curves… some wondrous and others tragic. These forces have combined to chisel away at our raw character and our physical being, a chip here and a hefty piece there… until some of us actually end up looking and acting like completely different people. But for most of us, somewhere deep down inside, the essence of who we are remains firmly intact. Continue reading
Southern Diplomacy
I’ve often heard that the art of diplomacy is dead. It certainly seems like some people these days refuse to engage in civil debate. They tend to yell loud, make weird accusations, interrupt each other and are often just plain mean. However, I’m not sure if it has ever been any more “civil”. Especially when I consider some of my father’s stories about early Florida “dispute resolution”. Continue reading
The Other Ben Nelson 