Dennis R. Berry, Writer/Editor

If I had a hammer, what would I build? Things like this are designed to make one think. For me, it makes me think about simplicity. What would I build? Well, I would build my own house. Something small. Something cozy. Something in the middle of the woods, miles from the nearest person. Someplace where I could sit back, relax, listen to the crickets chirp at night and the birds sing during the day. A place where I could live in peace, not have to worry about a thing, and just enjoy nature. I may live in the city.. I may have, for the most part, ALWAYS lived in the city, but I’m a nature-boy at heart. The home I would build would be somewhat small. No gigantic, multiple bedrooms for me. I don’t need them. Just a couple small, cozy rooms. A living room, loft, bathroom, kitchen, and a dining area. That’s all I need, really. But let’s not forget the really important parts: a large deck with a swing and a hammock. A hot tub on one end of the deck. Can you imagine kicking back in a hot tub a...

It kinda sucks getting old. Really, it does. A host of new aches and pains, more visits to the doctor’s office, more medications.. it’s a bit insane sometimes. You know, you go in for one simple little thing and walk out with a whole bag full of medicine. That’s just not legit. But, it’s a part of life, isn’t it. There’s really not much we can do about it when our bodies decide that staying in one piece just isn’t worth the effort. Getting old also means changing a lot of the things that used to hold power over me.. things that I used to value, but now seem meaningless. I used to have this thing where I loved “stuff”. Random things, collections of gadgets, new toys.. all these things were important to me. They became my focus. Now, though, I realize that they’re just things. Sure, I have some favorite things that I don’t want to give up. My iPad, for instance. I wouldn’t want to live without it. But I could, if I had to. Now, I realize that there are more important things in life t...