Thanks for posting Martha (my favorite roadside caller ) and Steve (good to hear from you!).
I took up an older friend's offer to meet him at a nearby bar for happy hour. I struck up a convo with a guy sitting next to me who mentioned CA and found out he's a Marine Captain just back from Iraq (my friend spent ~3 years in Vietnam as a Marine). Anyway, lots of good stories, talked about everything - women, war, trauma, fitness, our sons - and noticed that I had forgotten my sitch. The bar was in a posh restaurant and there were some incredible women milling about. I enjoyed the occasional bantering with women who'd come up to talk, and noticed that I attracted my share despite being a prof sitting with two Marines.
Found a common theme of appreciation in what was said - that a man spending his life well does so in a planned, disciplined fashion, yet with some flexibility to discover/pursue his passions. Without dredging up the past mistakes in my R w/ W, I am firmly committed to never lose myself that much in W or another W so as to lose sight of my self and male purpose. And I intend to pass that perspective onto S5, so he can possible avoid this pitfall as a young man.
) and Steve (good to hear from you!).
