The Space Between The Waves

Meanwhile, I was lucky enough to be a part of riding the Freedom Train when it rolled through our hometown in 1976. I still remember that feeling… being young, wide-eyed, and just taking it all in without fully understanding the weight of what I was seeing. And now, looking back from 2026, I realize just how fortunate I am to still be here to remember it. The people who took me on that ride are no...

Meanwhile, there’s a quiet kind of strength in getting through things you didn’t always feel ready for. Some days test your patience. Some days test your focus. Some days just ask you to keep showing up even when the answers aren’t clear yet. And somehow, you do. It’s easy to look at life and only measure the big moments, the wins, the milestones, the things everyone else can see. But most of life...

Meanwhile, it’s funny how days of the week carry their own kind of energy, like Thursdays. You’re not at the beginning anymore, but you’re not quite at the finish line either. It’s that in-between stretch where most people either push forward or start looking for the exit ramp early. But there’s something powerful about staying the course. Not every day feels exciting. Not every step feels like pr...

Meanwhile, on the corner of Forever and Almost There, in a place where the sun shines most every day and everything you've ever wanted seems to be on the daily special, you'll find a little coffee shop called "Hope's & Dreams." It's unlike any coffee shop you've ever visited. Your favorite song is always playing, the coffee is always fresh, and somehow everyone knows your name. The faces chang...

Meanwhile, have you ever stopped and thought about how much can change in just one year? A year sounds like a long time when you're looking ahead. Yet when you look back, it feels like it passed in the blink of an eye. Twelve months ago, you were worried about things that may not even matter today. You had plans, doubts, goals, and questions that seemed so important at the time. Some worked out ex...

Meanwhile, have you ever noticed that sometimes the answer you've been searching for has been sitting right in front of you all along? The funny thing about life is that the closer we are to a situation, the harder it can be to see it clearly. We convince ourselves that things are fine because they're familiar. We stay where we're comfortable because at least we know what to expect. Yet deep down,...

Meanwhile, my recent Facebook debacle—where years of memories, photos, and posts dating back to 2010 disappeared with the click of a button—got me thinking about just how connected we've all become to this crazy world of technology. I guess it all started with AOL and dial-up internet. Back then, hearing "You've Got Mail" brought a sense of excitement and anticipation. Someone had taken the time t...

Meanwhile, I stopped at a small roadside café that sat just far enough off the main road that you could hear the wind instead of traffic. It was one of those places where nobody seemed to be in a hurry, and the coffee smelled like it had been brewing since sunrise. Inside, an older man was sitting alone with a cup of coffee that had probably been refilled more times than he could count. He sat nea...

Meanwhile, there’s something about early morning light on the water that makes everything feel a little more honest. The world hasn’t fully woken up yet, and for a few quiet moments, it’s just you, your thoughts, and whatever the tide decided to bring in. An old dockworker once told me that the tide doesn’t argue with anyone. It just comes in, and it goes out, no matter who’s standing there watchi...

Meanwhile, the ancient Tiki Leaders were a peculiar bunch. Part philosophers, part fortune tellers, and part adventurers, they believed the best way to predict the future was to learn from the past. They taught that if you wanted a different life, you had to be willing to think differently, act differently, and occasionally paddle against the current while everyone else followed the crowd. Trend s...

Meanwhile, somewhere between where you've been and where you're trying to go, there comes a moment when you realize that success isn't something that accidentally shows up on your doorstep. It's often said that success is no accident, and the older I get, the more I believe that's true. The funny thing is that success looks different for everyone. Some people measure it in dollars, some in freedom...

Meanwhile, sitting outside the airport on what is considered temporary seating while waiting for boarding time, you notice things you normally don't see. The goodbyes are shorter at the curb than they used to be as people disappear through the sliding doors. Uber drivers offer a quick "good luck" before pulling away, likely never to see that passenger again. Even the fancy luggage is off on anothe...

Meanwhile, every once in a while you want the weatherman to say, "Today's forecast is slightly salty with a hint of lime. An ocean breeze will gently move in from the south, and abundant sunshine will bring you happiness throughout the day." Mr. Johns, or "Sir John" as the locals call him, lives on the far end of Topsail Beach, North Carolina, a 26-mile barrier island along the coast and home to t...

Meanwhile, sometimes you have to remind yourself that you are stronger than the situation you find yourself in. Every now and then I catch myself looking back at where I once was, and it always amazes me how much can change in just 10 years. The struggles that seemed overwhelming back then have become lessons, the setbacks have become stepping stones, and the worries that kept me awake at night ha...

Meanwhile, I’ve been lucky enough to watch the sunrise from a second-floor balcony in Virginia Beach…seeing it rise straight out of the ocean like it’s putting on a show just for you. I’ve watched it in Key West, as the island slowly wakes up and the chickens begin their daily routines. Even in Costa Rica, walking a quiet path to a hidden hideaway, the sunrise has a way of finding you. No matter w...

Meanwhile, the ancient Tiki tribes believed that if you stared long enough into a calm blue lagoon on a clear day, the answers you were searching for would slowly become clear. Now whether that’s legend, wisdom, or just a good excuse to sit quietly near the water for awhile, I’m not really sure…but I do know this. Most people already know deep down what they need to do long before they actually do...

Meanwhile, saying no when everyone around you is saying yes is really becoming a lost art…maybe even a skill. It’s caused me a lot of misery in my life and just as much success. I remember sitting at a crowded little marina bar one evening listening to a group of people talk about some “can’t miss” idea that everybody was jumping into. The louder the conversation got, the more it seemed like nobod...

Meanwhile, there’s a quiet freedom in being bad at something new. I was sitting out behind a little beachside café once watching a guy learn how to play guitar. Now when I say learn, I mean every chord sounded like the seagulls were fighting over a french fry. People walking by would kind of grin, some shook their heads, but the funny thing was…he didn’t seem embarrassed at all. He just kept playi...

Gooooood Morning Everyone Happy Wednesday, Welcome to the Halfway Point! Meanwhile, Janice owns the Sunshine Flower Shop just off Ocean BLVD where her motto hangs above the old wooden doorway…“Every day is beautiful in its own way.” Her little shop isn’t really just a flower shop at all. It’s more like a mix between a flower boutique, antique store, and a collection of forgotten memories brought b...

Meanwhile, we all have that inner voice…the one that quietly speaks up when something doesn’t feel quite right. It’s the voice that tells you to question someone’s intentions, warns you when danger may be close, or in some cases simply reminds you that yes…you are officially lost again with no idea how you ended up on this road in the first place. The older I get, the more I’ve learned that voice...

Gooooood Morning Everyone Happy Monday, another week full of opportunities is here! Meanwhile, somewhere between the closed doors, unanswered calls, missed chances, and plans that didn’t work out the way you hoped, there’s a lesson most people eventually learn… rejection isn’t always the end of the road. Sometimes it’s just a detour pointing you somewhere you were supposed to go all along. I know...

Meanwhile, there are moments in life when the best thing you can do is say nothing at all. Not because you’ve given up or because you don’t care, but because not every situation deserves your energy, your explanation, or your peace. I’ve learned over the years that silence can be one of the most powerful things a person has. It’s not weakness… it’s wisdom. We’ve all felt that urge to respond immed...

Meanwhile, I catch a lot of grief from people who know me well because I rarely ask for help, and truthfully… they’re probably right. But it’s not always because I’m trying to be tough or because I think I can do everything alone. Most of the time, it’s because I already have the whole thing mapped out in my head, and honestly, I don’t have the time or patience to explain every little detail of wh...

Meanwhile, there are many things you learn the further you go in life. Repetition teaches you more than most people realize. What once seemed difficult eventually becomes routine, and one day you find yourself doing things you used to struggle with without even thinking about them anymore. More often than not, I’ve taken chances on people, ideas, and opportunities only to discover I wanted it more...

Meanwhile, he was pulling a wagon loaded down with fishing poles of all colors, lures, a tackle box, and a cooler iced down with cold beer, headed out for another day on Pier 25. I followed behind him sipping on morning coffee, taking just another minute to soak it all in before I hit the road again. Standing there watching the waves slowly roll in, with the morning sun beginning to warm the air,...