• Virginia, USA

Cars Over the Years

The other day while I was rocking on the front porch of The Compound, I began reflecting on the cars I’ve owned over the years. This Baby Boomer has been behind the wheel for 55 years and even I was surprised at the number of vehicles La Bear and I have owned plus those driven prior to our marriage. Certainly, […]

Fun, Fun, Fun “Back in the Day”

Growing up in Arlington, VA in the 1950’s and 60’s, this Baby Boomer had a whole lot of fun “back in the day” as there was always something to do, somewhere to go, a sight to see, or an event to attend! Many of us participated in organized sports while growing up whether it was football, basketball, baseball, or swimming […]

“MBWA”–The Key to Relationship Building

“Back in the day” while working with Giant Food going through their Career Development Program (CDP), I was introduced to “MBWA” which stood for “Managing By Walking Around”. Many in the business community credit Hewlett-Packard in the late 70’s for introducing “MBWA” into the workplace as noted in the 1982 book “In Search of Excellence” by Tom Peters. But in […]

Remembering Mr. N.M. Cohen of Giant Food

Nehemiah Meir Cohen and Samuel Lehrman founded Giant Food in 1936 opening its first supermarket concept store on Georgia Avenue, NW. Mr. Cohen went by N.M., but for the vast majority of us who had the opportunity to know him he was, out of total respect, Mr. Cohen. He actually stepped away from active management in 1964 becoming Chairman of […]

“Weekly Message” Lessons Taught

Having transitioned from a 32-year career in retail supermarket operations to a 20-year hobby in the professional chauffeured transportation industry, I’ve had the opportunity to be focused on providing nothing other than superior service, taught to me early on while at Giant Food in the Washington, DC area where their mission statement was simple and directly to the point (quality, […]

The Culprit in Making America Lazy: Technology! (Its Effects on Manners, Education, and Common Sense)

“Back in the day”, I remember our American society being very open and much more carefree than it is today as we used to look out for one another in a very caring and respectful way. People seemingly got along and appeared to be much more extroverted, although, the 60’s were filled with their challenges with its assassinations, racial strife, […]

Reflecting on Growing Up “Back in the Day”

“Back in the day”, growing up in Arlington, VA in the 1950’s and 60’s, I was fortunate enough to have parents whose priority was ME and they provided me with a wonderful childhood. They created a family structure where there were expectations and accountability. They gave me the tools and resources to make good decisions and with every decision they […]

Just Ramblin’ On

Yep, this Baby Boomer is at a point once again where he’s just “ramblin’ on”. I wouldn’t say I’m at the point of anger, but rather disgust and disappointment–that’s my own fault. Please allow me to explain. Upon some reflection, I believe my life has evolved around three major vices which have acted as a soothing salve facing the challenges […]

You Can’t Teach Leadership

Having spent over two decades in the luxury livery industry, I’ve had the opportunity to drive a large throng of executives who were leaders in their companies, but very few ever exemplified any leadership. It’s through this experience where I’ve come to the conclusion you can’t teach leadership! Leadership is only afforded to the very few and those few are […]

A Look Back at 2023 & My Resolve for 2024

The week between Christmas and New Years is seemingly always a time of reflection on the year which is about to end. It’s impossible to escape as TV is continuously reminding us of this with a plethora of newsworthy events and a “look back” at those who’ve we lost this year. It, at times, is somewhat interesting at first, but […]