David Himmel 5/8/26 David Himmel 5/8/26

Notes from the Post-it Wall | Week of May 3, 2026

It’s easy to misconstrue something you hear or read. Do better by doing the harder work. Pay attention, take your time. And trust that the hard work really isn’t that hard.

David Himmel 5/5/26 David Himmel 5/5/26

The Complicated Appreciation for Teacher Appreciation Week

I’m not going to argue that teachers and school staff don’t need appreciation. They are important players in our children’s lives. Highly influential for good and ill. But there are a few problems I come up against with Teacher Appreciation Week. Those problems are time, effort, and even money.

Don Hall 5/4/26 Don Hall 5/4/26

I Believe… [Stand and Deliver]

...that in order to protect those we care for it may be just enough to stand in the way of those who intend harm.

David Himmel 5/1/26 David Himmel 5/1/26

Notes from the Post-it Wall | Week of April 26, 2026

We must strive to make what happens to us good for us. That’s how we master disappointment. That’s how we evolve and persevere.

David Himmel 4/24/26 David Himmel 4/24/26

Notes from the Post-it Wall | Week of April 19, 2026

If you ever want the Ellis Island experience circa 1907, swing into the Chicago City Clerk’s office in Portage Park. The number of different accents is loads of fun and reminds you of the shared American Experience, which is that city bureaucracy is no fun for any of us.

Don Hall 4/23/26 Don Hall 4/23/26

The Alchemy of Heartache

Once in a while an artist creates something born from absolute heartbreak that opens up old wounds in a vicious fire.

Don Hall 4/20/26 Don Hall 4/20/26

I Believe… [Tell a Better Story]

...that the story you continue to tell about yourself to others becomes your own reality over time. So, tell a better story.

David Himmel 4/17/26 David Himmel 4/17/26

Notes from the Post-it Wall | Week of April 12, 2026

Whining children is the leading cause of stomach fat.

David Himmel 4/10/26 David Himmel 4/10/26

Notes from the Post-it Wall | Week of April 6, 2026

Just curious… Is Baron Trump registered for the draft? If not, it looks like he will be. I just hope he doesn’t develop bone spurs and can become the war hero his father views himself as.

Don Hall 4/8/26 Don Hall 4/8/26

I Got Your Mindfulness

The modern world doesn’t lack mindfulness techniques. It lacks friction.

David Himmel 4/7/26 David Himmel 4/7/26

No Quiero Taco Bell

Why am I doing this? Why am I having to navigate a digital menu when I could just tell an employee my order with greater speed and ease because they know better how to navigate this thing? And while I was planning on using my credit card to pay, what if I wanted to use cash? What if someone who doesn’t have a credit card, like, say, a homeless person scrounges up enough money for a Crunch Wrap Supreme? How are they to make the purchase and feed themselves? It’s rare that I feel this way, but I felt… offended.

Don Hall 4/6/26 Don Hall 4/6/26

I Believe… [Dirty Old Man?]

...that the terms ‘dirty old man’ and ‘healthy and experienced elder’ are interchangeable depending on who is doing the describing.

David Himmel 4/3/26 David Himmel 4/3/26

Notes from the Post-it Wall | Week of March 29, 2026

Our society is becoming so reliant on systems that we’re inadvertently making ourselves less capable, less self-sufficient. Dumber. Hell, I don’t even wipe my ass anymore. I have a bidet do it.

Don Hall 3/23/26 Don Hall 3/23/26

I Believe… [Living Michael Bay]

...that when meteors start crashing through roofs in Texas in bursts maybe we’re finally beginning to live in a Michael Bay world.

Don Hall 3/22/26 Don Hall 3/22/26

Death by Magnifying Glass

If the only tool in your hand is a lens for mistakes, don’t be surprised when courage evaporates and excellence suffocates like a goldfish in a shot glass.

David Himmel 3/20/26 David Himmel 3/20/26

Notes from the Post-it Wall | Week of March 15, 2026

Listening to Kenny Loggins’ brand of Rock ‘n’ Roll is like watching a high school kid play an elderly person in the Spring Play. We all know I’s not real, but we go along with it because it’s cute.

Don Hall 3/16/26 Don Hall 3/16/26

I Believe… [The Fragile Thread]

...that when you spend time helping the truly broken—the ones who require more patience than seems reasonable—you walk away with two revelations: how much of yourself still works, and how vital the fragile thread of kindness is that holds people together.

David Himmel 3/13/26 David Himmel 3/13/26

Notes from the Post-it Wall | Week of March 8, 2026

If you must suffer fools, do so with a vengeance.

Don Hall 3/12/26 Don Hall 3/12/26

Choose It or Change It: The Infinite Jest of Your Own Damn Life

Or: Why Complaining About Your Circumstances Is Like Whining That the Tennis Ball Keeps Coming Back After You Hit It

Don Hall 3/9/26 Don Hall 3/9/26

I Believe [Sleep]

...that sleep for a single older man is weird and wonderful. Sometimes you work your ass off and sleep with the fishes, other times you put yourself down, snooze for three hours, wake up, write, then catch another three before jumping into the day.