Alan’s Quest

A young man walked up to me outside the post office recently and said, "You're Mr. Weiss, right?" "I am." "You probably don't remember me, but I came to your house a few years ago after a storm to ask if you

When I go over to work on my train layout for a little while most days, I get "lost" in the universe I've created. I don't live by others' rules or metrics. I mix eras, create novel scenes, establish my

A buddy came over for a cigar the other day. We sat in my retreat center about six feet apart, had some scotch and Cohibas. We talked politics and people, TV and jobs. Then I went back to my final

I'm running my Building Dynamic Communities Workshop over two mornings instead of "live," using Zoom. This is the fifth time I'm presenting and facilitating a virtual workshop. I find myself preparing by shaving and showering, wearing good clothes, even putting

Social media posts would be funny if the times weren't so difficult for so many people. If everyone whining about the government's actions and/or bloviating about how they would do things differently—or using the crisis to make partisan political points—would

I'm weary of talking to six different people in hotels, with six confusing titles, repeating myself six times, as if they never talk to each other to support my meetings. So I'm now saying, "My requirement is one contact only,

  Happy New Year! I wish you health, wisdom, and prosperity.

It's absolutely depressing to listen to people who bemoan what they can't do any more. They were athletes in school, but can run as fast and jump as high now. Their kids were home and being raised, and now they're

Generosity and charity can be two different things. Charity consists of "giving" something tangible, usually money. It's often writing a check, which is easy for many of us. Of course, "charity" can also be kindness and tolerance toward others, but