One of my client’s lost her 88 year old mother in a car accident. I chose to go with a medium grey MTM suit and a black belt, black OTC socks, black shoes and a black band on my 1940’s Bulova. While I am at the age where funerals have become much more common, tragedy’s such as these are even more sad for family’s.

Had some work to do on Celtic Cheer. The sewn connection popped on my last sail at the clew of my Genoa ( point of front sail tore loose) during a robust sail with my wife the other day. I have it loaded in the truck to get repaired next week at my sailmaker’s shop. Thought it was the perfect day to hoist my American flag. Typical boat outfit: White BoyScout performance fabric shirt khaki performance fabric shorts. Grey topsiders wide brimmed Boy Scout hat. Apple Watch (on a final quest to dial in body proportions. Did 1100 calories over BMR yesterday beginning with a lifting session and a 2,000 yard swim). Very blessed to have grown up in the south central part of the USA. I am very grateful and proud of those men and women in uniform that have given to us all the rights we enjoy, and am ever aware that we are always just one generation away from frittering it all away. God Bless America…….please.

Good morning gentlemen: I woke up this morning and I was reflecting on just how blessed I am. I turned 59 years old today and I am so thankful for everything that I have experienced in life, yes even the scars of pain, hurt, and suffering. My grandfather told me once, to never be ashamed of the scars from the things that you have endured in your life. Instead wear them as a badge and with pride, because those scars represent that whatever tried to destroy you failed. Yes, do wish that there were things that I did; that I could have, should have done differently, but again those things made me who I am today. I have a a beautiful bride, a loving family, a job they I actually enjoy, and I am doing things that I never thought that I would be doing until I met all of you gentlemen here. When I started this journey of becoming a gentleman; mind you I was raised to be one, I never would have figured the impact that it would have on my life as a whole. But being around you gentlemen, meeting, networking, and sharing has not only made me a better person but has shown me that there is still hope for the world that we live in. This year when I decided to be more intentional, to focus on getting back to the basic, to going back to certain aspects of analog living, realized the importance of being a gentleman, why we should live as gentlemen and the impact we can make in this world. When I launched the two podcast a few months ago The Gentleman’s Forum and The Gentlemen of Faith podcasts, that is now on 10 platforms platforms like iHeart Radio, Apple Podcast, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, I never knew the impact that it could make on the lives of so many people. To share and invite other gentlemen to the podcast and for them to share their lives, their experiences, and to discuss things, this has been a truly remarkable experience. So as I celebrate 59 years of life, love, and service, I want to share this day with people that I hold dear to me, along with my family, and this is all of you. And for those who would like to give me a birthday gift this is what I would like. Your friendship, keep spreading the gentlemen qualities that you all have and help bring peace, chivalry, morality , and grace back to this world. Because the best gift that you could give me, is you reading this because, it lets me know that you are a friend and a gentleman in this society.