Biggest Thrill: Katrina and Dan had a new baby, Joni James Pasick, born August 24, 2023.
Music Artist Most Listened To: Joni Mitchell, of course.
Books I’ve Been Reading:
- Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy 10/10
- The Art Thief by Michael Finkel 6/10
- My Search for Warren Harding by Robert Plunket 1/10
Most Enjoyable Day: My afternoon spent at the Motown Museum with my two sons and then dinner at Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails in Detroit.
Biggest Struggle: Adapting to using a walker is a big challenge for me personally.
Best Creative Endeavors: I am working on a new book, A Man’s Guide to Healthy Aging: Staying Strong in Mind, Body, and Spirit. Currently, I am planning a publication date in September. Let me know if you want an advance copy.
What I’m Watching: Fugitive: The Curious Case of Carlos Ghosn
What I’m Listening To On The Radio: Every morning I listen to The Daily, and every evening I try to listen to Fresh Air by Terry Gross.
Most Entertaining Evening: Listening to author Ann Patchett at the beautiful art center in Petoskey.
The Best Laughs in the Evening: Having dinner at Larks Lake with Mike and Mickey Martlock, Gail and John Stenback. I have known Mike since I was five. Growing up, he lived two doors down from me on Meadowlark. Mike was four years older than me and the other guys on the street. He was our hero. He still is going strong at 80, fishing, duck hunting, and canoeing. I’ve known Mickey since I was about 14. I’ve known John and Gail since I was in junior high school.
Biggest Downer: Falling. Luckily, I didn’t hurt myself, but it taught me a lesson that I need to stick with the walker.
Biggest Wake-up Call: Two of my male friends ended up in the hospital because they did not go to the doctor in time. Lesson learned: don’t be macho. Go to the doctor when you have problems.
Best Magazine Readings: An article in the Atlantic magazine about families in the 1950s and 60s who sent their impaired children to live in institutions. These family members often kept these children a secret from the rest of the family.
My Best Emotional Writing: Writing about my Grandpa Izzy, who could be the most joyful of men, and who could also be the most severely depressed.
Looking Forward To Next Month: Leaders Connect Detroit, From Struggles to Strength: Empowering Michigan’s Refugee Community. Register here.
The Best Week: Having our whole family together in Ann Arbor. Adam, Sarah, Ada, and Sammy from New York City and Dan, Katrina, Bodie, and Joni (who was on her way).
Saddest Loss: Our friend and colleague, Dr. Sylvia Gordon, died as a result of Alzheimer’s. I worked with Sylvia at the Ann Arbor Center for the Family. We had a lot of fun and learned a lot from each other. Sylvia was a gifted therapist and a wonderful person. Sylvia contributed to a chapter of my book, Men in Therapy: The Challenge of Change. Our fondest memory of Sylvia was the time she adopted a child from Peru. Sylvia was a single mom who raised Jenny to be a wonderful young lady who is now a teacher.