Dear Woody

Dear Woody,

The Republicans have achieved overwhelming success in the midterm elections of the U.S. Senate.  What will be the impact on the country?

- Polly Tsai


Dear Polly,

Great question!  As you know, the Senate is shifting red.  Come January, Republicans will thwart any and all objectives of the Obama Administration from their hard won majority position.  This is a significant change from the past when Republicans thwarted any and all objectives of the Obama Administration from their minority position.

- Woody

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Dear Woody,

It doesn't look like any significant gun control laws will be passed during Obama's administration.  This is perplexing.  Analysts say the reason is that the proponents don't have a loud enough voice.  If not, why not?

- Pearl Handel


Dear Pearl,

Funny you should ask.  In retirement, you have the wonderful luxury to think.  Of course, people often aren't around to help calibrate your thoughts.  So you do run the risk of coming up with ideas that aren't appreciated.  (e.g. my combination Laundromat/Bus Depot business venture.  It's a little ahead of its time.)  But the silent isolation also fosters some real moments of clarity.

Like you, I once couldn't understand why the gun control proponents have such a timid voice.  Everything seems to be in their favor: the media is generally on their side, the majority of Americans support some kind of control, the NRA actually spends very little money (only something like $23 M a year).

Oh, the analysts have their theories: gun control proponents just aren't passionate enough, they aren't organized, the issue is too low on their priority list.  But none of the explanations rang true with me.  Then came my early retirement moment of clarity.  The reason the gun control proponents are so timid and the gun advocates are so bold in comparison is quite simple:

Those gun advocates?  They have all the guns.

- Woody

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Dear Woody,

Help!  The holidays are upon us and my attempts to make them more meaningful have fallen flat with my family.  I've tried everything I can think of.  I've suggested exchanging handwritten cards instead of gifts.  I've suggested spending time together instead of shopping separately.  I've suggested volunteer work instead of opening presents.  But no one wants to do anything but buy stuff, wrap stuff, give stuff, get stuff, open stuff, and return stuff.  How can I make Christmas more meaningful?

- Hope Anprey

 

Hope,

Silly, young, naive person!  The holidays are primarily about stuff.  The gift giving tradition is too ingrained in most people (and companies) to accommodate you.

(Yes, there are those who say the holidays are primarily about religion.  But check their calendar and you'll find the majority of their time is spent on stuff, not scripture.)

That being said, you can at least try to make the holidays more efficient.  Last Thanksgiving, I was sitting around a dining room table with Rooty and my in-laws.  They were discussing what to do for Christmas: full out gift giving, a Secret Santa gift exchange, pooling money to buy one large gift for each person, etc.  The conversation went on and on, with all the pros and cons of each option discussed, but no resolution.  And then, in yet another early retirement moment of clarity, it came to me.  An absolutely brilliant, elegant idea:

"Okay, here's what we do.  On Christmas day, we all sit around a table just like this one.  Then each of us opens our wallet, pulls out a $50 bill and passes it to the right.  Merry Frickin' Christmas."

It wasn't as well received as I had hoped.

- Woody 

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Woodge,

What, you don't like giving gifts?

- Madison A.

Madison,

I find that gifts are best when they are least expected.  I recently gave a new soccer ball bag to a guy with whom I coach.  (His bag was old and ratty and falling apart.)  He was so grateful.  He said it was the most thoughtful gift he had received in a long time.  Even better, because it wasn't tied to Christmas or a birthday, there was no feeling like,

"Oh, he bought me a gift, I guess I should go buy him one.  I need to figure out how much it costs because I have to be sure to give him something of similar monetary value."

And there is no angst about whether or not to continue exchanging gifts the following year, and the year after that, and the year after that...

Try it!  It's super fun.

- Woody