Volume 2 - Issue 1 - January 2026

Greetings !

If you watch the news every day, you’d think the world is spinning out of control and that life in America couldn’t possibly be worse. Chaos is everywhere. Nothing is working. Everything is broken.

Here’s something worth remembering as we step into 2026. The news isn’t a record of normal life. It’s a record of exceptions.

Roughly 100,000 airplane flights land safely every single day. No one reports on that. What makes the headlines is the one flight that nearly misses another by a few thousand feet.

One rare, frightening moment becomes the story, while the ordinary success disappears into the atmosphere. I was on a flight from Houston to Denver that made an emergency landing in Oklahoma City after a cockpit fire.

Read what we each can do to make 2026 a lot better...

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Why I’m Starting Marginalia on Substack

The Marginalia is changing in 2026. Please click and subscribe! Since I read my first byline in the Carey Junior High School Tumbleweed newspaper, I’ve been more interested in the notes in the margins than the polished text in the middle.

The crossed-out sentences. The questions scribbled in pencil that say, “Wait, what about this? That’s where the thinking happens. That’s where the truth sneaks in.

That’s why I’m launching Marginalia on Substack.

The Marginalia is a home for the in-between thoughts, the ideas that don’t arrive fully formed, the stories that reveal themselves while you’re working them out, and the observations you make when you’re paying attention instead of chasing certainty. It’s less about having the final answer and more about asking better questions.

If you’ve been a subscriber to my newsletter, this is a natural extension of what I’ve already been sharing with you, just more focused, more regular, and more conversational. On Substack, Marginalia will be a place where I publish ongoing stories and essays about writing, publishing, creativity, and the strange business of trying to make something worthwhile in a very noisy world.

Click and read about the great content on Substack Marginalia ...

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Finding Balance: Zen and Creativity for Success

If you watch the news for more than ten minutes, it’s easy to believe the world is unraveling.

You might feel that you’re already behind. Behind in your career. Behind in your art. Behind in becoming the person you thought you’d be by now.

I wrote a book, “The Zen or Creative Imperfection.” Zen offers a different starting point. Zen doesn’t ask us to stop striving. It asks us to stop strangling ourselves with the idea of perfection while we strive.

Creative imperfection is a point of entry. One of the quiet gifts of Zen thinking is the idea of showing up fully without clinging to outcomes.

In creative work, this means writing the imperfect draft. It involves painting the awkward first layer and launching the idea before it feels bulletproof.

In the workplace, that might mean, rather than staying home when you’re sick, you come in. You think others will respect you more.

Click to read how you can alleviate stress by overcoming perfection...

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Lessons from Meathead: Fighting Prejudice in America

I grew up in Wyoming in the 1960s when Superman’s American Way was pounded in my head the moment I popped out of the womb.

You know, “faster than a speeding bullet, richer is better than poorer, acceptance by assimilation, and fighting for truth, justice, and the American Way?”

In the 70s, I realized that I was surrounded by adults who rarely questioned the subtle bigotry woven into everyday conversation.

That was when “All in the Family” was the rage on network TV. I watched Rob Reiner as Meathead, punching toe-to-toe with Archie Bunker about prejudice and Nixon’s politics.

Read about how Meathead and Archie changed me...

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My disclaimer: You’re receiving this newsletter because at some point over the past 25 or 30 years, we’ve met or corresponded by email. You can unsubscribe if your inbox is already too cluttered. You’re safe here. I won’t ever ask you to send me $1,000 in Target gift cards, or I’ll hijack your computer.

Drop me a line if you run out of things to do. Thank you for sticking around. Until next time...

If you have questions or comments, message Alan-Bot. We learn more and more every day! You can also click the icon to chat ...

What are you resolving to do in 2026 to make yourself and the world better?