Last year I got clean, in that being honest with yourself and others kind of way. I revealed that my father, a Scoutmaster, had been arrested in the 1950s for molesting my cousin, who was a 13-year-old Scout. I learned this family secret long after my parents had...

I made an appointment with my attorney after it was suggested that I might consider protecting myself just in case anyone wanted to come after me or my business. He asked me why I thought I needed this and I told him that I had written a book and then proceeded to...

Several years ago I met Jeremy and Charity Rochford during a Cherish the Night fundraising event for the non-profit organization, STARS. I am on their board and served  as “Art Chair” for the event. That meant I called in favors, begged and pleaded my case to secure...

"A man's friendships are one of the best measures of his worth." —Charles DarwinMarch 18, 2018Two friends from high school sat on the front row in the crowded Parnassus Books waiting to hear me speak about my newest memoir, Songs from an Imperfect Life. They laughed...

My first draft for Songs from an Imperfect Life included a couple of memories that when all was said and done, did not carry my story along or particularly add to the timeline. However, they were “my” stories of things that had left an impression on me and therefore I...

My father purchased a travel trailer when I was a sophomore in high school, thinking it would be wonderful to take a family vacation with this massive thing attached to the back of our 1966 Chrysler Town and Country station wagon. With Mexico as our destination, the...

"Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me." —Martin NiemöllerThere are those who find fault in others and choose to voice it with insults and accusations. And there are those who go a step further by thinking violence is the solution. It feels...

A workaholic is a person who works compulsively. While the term generally implies that the person enjoys their work, it can also alternately imply that they simply feel compelled to do it.  —WikipediaHi. My name is Ron and I’m a workaholic. I’m not sure how it all...

"Find out what you like doing best, and get someone to pay you for doing it." —Katharine Whitehorn I have had a colorful life as many of you have discovered through my memoir Songs from an Imperfect Life. And I have worked in many often-connected and overlapping...

"Nothing brings to life again a forgotten memory like fragrance." —Christopher Poindexter It was a hot summer afternoon and I had just completed the task of mowing the vast hillside yard of my childhood home. I was sixteen years old and remember when I reached the...

Turning his head and closing his eyes, he paused and then the words stumbled out. Secrets, upon secrets, upon secrets. A shiver ran down my spine. The psychic medium had concluded my session by asking if I had any questions. This man had already demonstrated his...