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The Guy at The Dealer Said…

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I feel like automakers are intentionally blurring what was once a pretty clear distinction between two kinds of vehicles.  By this, I refer to the acronym SUV:  Sports Utility Vehicle.  Basically, a truck chassis with a station wagon body on it.  Chevy Suburban, Ford Bronco, etc.  And then came the crossovers (CUVs).  They are unibody chassis, like cars, but with a slightly taller suspension and a taller body to accommodate an upright seating position.  They don’t have the capabilities (towing and off-roading) that an SUV does (or can be made to have), but they are every so slightly more capable in driving down a rutted dirt road or across a suburban park than their sedan equivalents.  The market is swamped with these vehicles, and for on-road use, they are perfect.  My wife drives a Honda CRV as her daily, and it is very efficient, comfortable, and capable for everyday road use.  

Our other vehicle is a Jeep Wrangler.  It’s four-wheel-drive (not all-wheel drive like the CRV), has much taller (and more aggressive) tires and suspension, and solid axles to support some articulation.  It’s been down some hard roads.  We take care of it, repair, and maintenance-wise, but it’s got plenty of scratches and dings from the trails in Northern Michigan.  It’s not by any means a crawler or even a hard-core trail runner, but it gets us everywhere, and it kind of doesn’t matter what we have to go through to get there.  

So what happens when someone drives a large crossover (which the manufacturer and rental company – yep, this was a rental car – undoubtedly market as an SUV) the wrong way up a one-way-only mountain pass road, ignoring the warning of locals?  This:

San Miguel County Sheriff’s – Colorado

I snagged this photo from The Drive’s website.  They have a more detailed story on this particular incident (I’ll include the link below), but really it’s just illustrative of the dangers of inexperienced drivers, ignoring warnings, and tackling challenging terrain with unsuitable machinery.  I know someone who drives the Hyundai version of this vehicle, the Palisade.  It’s a very plush, comfy ride with all the room you’d expect to find in a minivan, which is basically what it is.  It’s made to look like an SUV, but underneath, it’s the heart and soul of a minivan.  And this is not a bad thing until someone with no off-road chops does something foolish and dangerous like this.  I’m not sure if this is a case of mad coincidence or high irony, but the vehicle that nearly slid thousands of feet down this mountain is a Kia Telluride.  The town it would have fallen into is Telluride, Colorado.  

I wish marketing people would stop conflating CUVs and SUVs.  They are very different machines when it comes to towing and off-road.  Your Mercedes GL/Chevy Traverse/Kia Telluride is a wonderful vehicle for going to the mall and probably driving up to your lake house or cottage, winter or summer.  But don’t try to haul a big boat or camper, and for the sake of the lives of your passengers, don’t travel remote mountain passes, thousands of feet up and many miles from where the nearest tow truck could access you.  The boat ramp videos of people launching and recovering very large boats with CUVs and 2-wheel drive pickups are entertaining, but a disaster for those who are the subject.

https://www.thedrive.com/news/tourist-in-kia-telluride-comes-dangerously-close-to-tumbling-down-black-bear-pass-forces-trail-closure

Road Trip

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As I’ve gotten older, I’ve really come to love road trips. I’ve spent a lot of time driving from place to place, and what used to be a chore has turned into something I really enjoy. Most of my travel involves flying because of time constraints. I enjoy flying, but I’m not a big fan of airports, crowds, and lines. Time and the changes in air travel that have happened over the years have given me a different perspective.

Driving gives you a chance to see everything you pass. If you have the time, you can stop and look at all the beautiful spots, eat at the little diners, and get to know more of this amazing world we live in. As a business traveler, I’ve been to most of the big cities (and many of the small towns) in the US and even a few in Europe. I cherish all of those experiences. Driving through the Alps in Switzerland and Italy is like nothing else. Driving through the Rocky Mountains is its own dramatic experience. Riding through the Appalachian mountains and the causeway across Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana are also special memories. The PCH (US Highway 1) in California is also very special to me. But these are places you can really only experience by car (or motorcycle).

Riding a motorcycle, or even driving with the windows down, lets you smell the places you go. Green trees have their own smell, especially pine and cedar trees. So does rain on the hills in Ireland. Or freshly tilled fields on our own plains in the US. It’s calming. It’s nature. It’s connectedness. I’ve never experienced this traveling at 500 miles per hour in an airplane at thirty thousand feet. That said, I have had a few opportunities to add a boat passage to a road trip and it’s so worth it! Crossing Lake Michigan from Manitowoc, Wisconsin to Ludington, Michigan was a wonderful addition to our motorcycle Circle Ride. Likewise, my World War II history tour in Europe included a cross-channel ferry trip from Portsmouth to Cherbourg. The sea has its own smell.  

I can’t stress enough how amazing it is to eat well. Once, I had a layover in Los Angeles that turned into a two-day adventure because of some airline mishaps. If I was stuck, I was going to make the most of it! I rented a car and drove up the Pacific Coast Highway from LA to Malibu. I explored the coast road and the canyon roads, and when I got hungry, I stumbled upon Bob Morris’s Paradise Cove Beach Cafe. I indulged in fresh seafood and sourdough bread, and then I walked along the beach. It was pure California magic, and I was almost glad I had been stranded by the airlines.

My friends Andy, Uly, and others in our group have turned our passion for small local dining into a hobby. We combine it with our love for motorcycle touring. Here in Michigan, we have a treasure trove of amazing places to explore (microbreweries, tap houses, diners, pizzerias, and so much more). And guess what? In neighboring Ohio and Indiana, these incredible places are never more than a few hours away.

Taking on Road Trips has been an incredible addition to my life’s adventures, and I highly recommend it for your next journey.  

Neushwanstien Castle, Bavaria, Photo by Author

The Stelvio Pass, Italy, Photo by Author

Snack Pretzels, Marienplatz, Munich – Photo by Author

On the road to Yellowstone, Wyoming – Photo by Author

Seek Discomfort

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‘Seek Discomfort’ is what the print on the t-shirt said.  ‘You found it!’ is what I thought to myself.  The young lady was clearly adept at navigating air travel.  After decades of work and vacation-related flying, there’s something about commercial air travel that unsettles me.  I find it less than comfortable.  It doesn’t matter if I’m flying to Chicago or Tirana.  The bustle and crowds of the airports, the intrusiveness of TSA, the lines, and the cramped quarters on the plane contribute to my growing disaffection for the process.  It’s often the only practical way to do things, but I wish it weren’t.  (Don’t misunderstand me, I love aviation, but loathe airports – I’ll write bit on that, another day).    

After a bit of contemplation (and while I grabbed my own roll-aboard from the overhead and made my way down the too-narrow aisle) I realized that the slogan might have a deeper meaning.  So often we seek comfort first.  We make sure we live lives that are soft and as easy as possible.  ‘Convenience Culture’ is the term that is popular now.  Think Amazon, Door Dash and other forms of instant home delivery.  Covid amplified the emotional forces that often want us to stay on the couch.  And capitalism, as it so often does, caters to demand.  

We can contrast that to my friend Travis.  Travis seeks discomfort.  He’s part of the movement (there are a few other adherents in my circle of friends and acquaintances) that embraces ‘Cold Plunge’.  Yep, think of immersing yourself in water, as cold as 39F as a way to easy sore muscles, enhance focus, lower your core body temperature (voluntary hypothermia!), and decrease inflammation.  I’ve also recently (re)embraced discomfort in the form of gym exercise and workouts.  I have had seasons (not enough of them) where I’ve embraced exercise culture.  Sore muscles and other various forms of discomfort do lead to greater strength and fitness, which is what brings me to the idea of embracing the notion of ‘Seek Discomfort’.  

When we are too comfortable, we are not more resilient.  When life is too convenient we are not more creative or courageous.  We are just more dependent.  And not on those we love or care about.  Interdependence, the notion that we mutually build into the lives of our friends and loved ones, is vital.  Being unnecessarily dependent on comfort and convenience might kill you or at least make you miserable.  Perhaps this is part of the attraction of camping.  Where you spend a small fortune to live like a homeless person.  It’s less comfortable than our normal lives.  But it gets us closer to the natural world (yes, even the glampers with the 40’ fifth-wheel).  I enjoy camping.   

On some level, I’m going to seek more challenge.  I will absolutely enjoy a certain amount of comfort and convenience (I enjoy the heated seat in my car, for example), but I’m also going to embrace some practices that challenge my affection for convenience. Maybe then I won’t be so grumpy about having to sit in a center seat, at the back of airplane, late in the evening, when all I want is to be home with my love.  Not sure about that cold plunge though…

Farewell Prince of Darkness

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I’m not sure it was a surprise to anyone that John Michael ‘Ozzy’ Osbourne passed away yesterday, July 22nd. He had clearly been in ill health for quite some time and had lived hard for much of his early life. What was a surprise was the impact it had on me emotionally. I haven’t listened to Ozzy or Black Sabbath music for many years. Sure it rolled up in the playlist on XM a few times, but my musical journey has taken me down many roads from the days when my hair was longer and my tastes ran to darker and harder music. I never watched the reality TV show about Ozzy and his family, nor did I attend any of the many live music events.

Yet after hearing the news of his demise and subsequently looking up this picture (the way I remember Ozzy) I was struck by the deep emotional chord that it struck in my heart. Like Ozzy, I was once an emotionally challenged teenager. I didn’t fit into any of the social groups in my school and I struggled to manage some deeply unpleasant things that I later learned I had in common with the the artist who’s music I immersed myself in so readily. I never bought into the pseudo-occult themes. It was more the lyrics of songs like Crazy Train and You Can’t Kill Rock n Roll and the virtuoso guitar of Randy Rhoads. They reached things in places that I tried to bury but could never quite manage to.

Ozzy struggled with substance abuse most of his life. As a younger man I indulged in a fair amount of drinking, perhaps in an attempt to numb feelings that I couldn’t bury deeply enough, perhaps to fit in socially. Alcohol and emotional struggles were not quite as debilitating for me, but I could relate. Thankfully faith and counseling have helped me find my way. I’ve heard rumors that Ozzy was a member of the Church of England and was given to pre-show prayers. Perhaps the Prince of Darkness is in heaven today. I’d like to think so.

I can’t relate at all to the lifestyle of a rock star, but I’ve spent days and month and years traveling on the road for business. It’s wonderful and terrible. And the older I get the more I appreciate home. I have to think that Ozzy and a few of his contemporaries feel (felt) the same way. I say this as I had occasion to discuss this a bit in casual conversation with Ted Nugent, as we had dinner at the same sushi bar and he was preparing to leave to do a show. He made it clear that he preferred more often to be home with his wife and his dogs than be on the road, even though he still loved to perform on stage. I’m sure the momentum of a life of entertaining is hard to overcome.

I’ll conclude by submitting that I think the loss of so many of those who made music and entertained us in the days and years of our youth (Malcom-Jamal Warner of the Cosby Show recently passed) marks time in a morbid and profound way. Perhaps the contemplation of my own mortality was part of the emotion that elicited a tear when I heard about Ozzy’s passing. Profound condolences to Ozzy’s family and friends. Rock stars may come and go, but as Ozzy reminded us, You can’t kill rock and roll.

Review – The Seabiscuit Cafe

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June 2025 – The Seabiscuit Cafe Mackinaw Island, Michigan

The first thing I need to address is the name of  this establishment.  The ambience in the Seabiscuit doesn’t exude ‘Cafe’.  It’s more accurately ‘Pub’.  This isn’t a bad thing, I like a good pub. The central feature is a bar. There are a half-dozen TVs playing sports, many high-top tables, all of the wood is dark and the tables are crammed in close.  The term Cafe’ usually implies coffee, and while I’m guessing they could produce a cup of coffee, the main beverage on offer here is beer.  The Seabiscuit movie was playing on a TV in the corner and a large plaque with the name dominated the decor.  

Now, on to the experience.  Our server was wonderful and accommodating of my wife’s food allergy.  I ordered the whitefish and chips, which was delivered in short order with batter coating and fries (chips!) worthy of any pub I’ve been to (Ireland and England included).  

Upon diving into my meal I was reminded that I’m not a huge fan of Great Lakes whitefish.  (Haven’t had it in years) In this case it was a bit dry and lacking in flavor.  I think this is more the nature of whitefish (I’m used to cod and haddock or walleye) than the preparation on offer by Seabiscuit.  I would recommend the french-dip (which looks amazing) or other pub-fare offering unless you’ve acquired the taste for whitefish.  My wife got a side salad with her meal of Mac and Cheese and it looked tasty.  I snuck a couple of cucumber slices and they were fresh and tasty.   The Mac and Cheese wasn’t anything extraordinary, but competent and pleasant as you would expect for comfort food.

I did enjoy a couple of cocktails, gin and tonic, which were nicely done and of appropriate strength.  Our server was attentive, friendly and efficient.  Given we were on the island on the Friday of a long holiday weekend, the island was commensurately crowded and by the time we got up to leave the line was out in the street.

As a side-note, if you want a quieter time on Mackinaw Island, go during the week. Otherwise you will likely wait in line for everything.  

Overall rating is 3.5 out of 5 stars for total experience. https://seabiscuitcafe.com

Review – Verde, Mackinaw Island

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June 2025 – The last time I visited Mackinaw Island (five years ago?) Verde was my last stop before boarding the ferry (Arnold Transit’s dock is adjacent). I remember an incredibly tasty plate of tacos and an equally satisfying margarita. As we were on our way to the ferry dock on our trip today (after having hit all the t-shirt shops and fudge stores) I figured I’d visit Verde again.

Having had such a positive experience once always leaves the door open to disappointment. But this was not the case today. I wasn’t hungry enough for the full treatment, so I ordered the chips and guacamole. I also ordered a margarita since I was enjoying the crowds on the island so much more with a little social lubricant. I topped it off with a bowl of the chicken tortilla soup and my wife ordered a grilled chicken sandwich.

We didn’t have to wait long for the guacamole and chips. Both the chips and guacamole were pretty clearly commercially made rather than done on-site (home-mades are the hallmark of a standout cantina). That said they were both flavorful and enjoyable. The margarita was very pleasant and whatever the well tequila was (I didn’t ask) it was a pleasant surprise.

Our table was in a partly open patio area with a view of the marina and the lake. The spacing of the tables was generous and we were one of three couples there. This kind of setting is why I go to islands, and I wasn’t disappointed. The temperature was around 70 degrees with a nice breeze coming over the water.

Our food was delivered promptly. Sarah cut off a bit of the grilled chicken from her sandwich for me to try and it was very juicy and flavorful, perfectly done. The sandwich was made to her request without avocado (she doesn’t eat the guacamole either) and the tomatoes appeared quite fresh. She was very pleased. The tortilla soup was served piping hot, which was very pleasant (I’m not sure there’s anything quite as disappointing as tepid soup). It was nicely seasoned and made with pinto beans (yay! I’ve not acquired the taste for black beans), chicken, with just slightly too much salt for my taste. Your mileage on this last bit may vary.

Our server was very pleasant and attentive and overall I would rate this visit to Verde easily as pleasant as my last one. Our server said Verde had recently changed their menu and now also serves smash burgers (is it bad that I didn’t notice?). If they are as good as our dinner I’d say it’s worth a try.

Overall I would rate Verde 4 out of 5 stars (homemade chips and guacamole would put them over the top). https://verdesmi.com

Curating

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Over the last few years I’ve begun to curate my social media and content feeds so that I bypass the bulk of the negative, triggering posts and materials.  That’s not to say that I’ve created an echo chamber that caters only to my worldview, but I’ve intentionally started weeding out messaging designed to provoke a response.  So what’s the difference?

Most objective observers of culture would agree that media has (d)evolved.  There was once only a handful of same-story outlets for ‘facts’, ideas and beliefs.  The Internet has created a fabric of sites, feeds, and streams that anyone can contribute to.  This is good (sort of).  Having power over the outlets for information and ideas concentrated in the hands of a few was never a great thing.  There was zero innovation and zero diversity of thought.  But what we have now may not be better. 

Social media and news sites are a cacophony of blaring voices.  Media and journalism appear to have abandoned any sense of balance and objectivity.  It’s all about narrative, and the bias is not the least bit hidden.  Click-bait headlines are designed specifically to elicit an emotional response (and drive ad revenue).  Provocation, not information, is the new goal.  And I’m not sure we even have a diversity of thinking.  What we call ‘news’ is the same reflexive ‘follow-the scoop’ or ‘amplify the narrative’ sort of thing we got from the NBC nightly news or 60 Minutes.  

If the new way of things isn’t really different, why is the Internet realm different?  Because we now have millions of shrill voices from the extremes of culture, anyone with anything moderate or reasonable to say gets cancelled by one side or the other.  There are still no balanced viewpoints and even less civil conversation.  Everything is a moral imperative, and if you disagree (from either side), you are ‘the problem’.

So far, this all sounds pretty bad, right?  It doesn’t have to be.  I’ve muted the blaring voices (even amongst my friends).  On social media, it’s simply a click.  In person, it’s as simple as pointing out that there are two sides to every issue, and in most cases, they are both partly to blame for the problem and neither has a corner on the truth.  I haven’t watched TV news in 20 years.  I don’t have to participate in the news/hype cycle.  

Online, as in life, balanced perspective is key.  I had to learn to see things for what they are, not what everyone is all upset about and claiming they are.  If I got wound up about every issue that someone says is an existential threat to humanity or society, I’d be exhausted.  And a lot of people are exhausted.  I like to be informed.  But about real facts.  Not hyperbole and not emotional screaming.  Narratives are like bodily functions.  Everybody has them, and they’re typically not shared well.

As the world moves on (and it will), I hope we all learn that holding our virtual hands over our ears and screaming isn’t how we make the world a better place.  Following those who would constantly stimulate our adrenal glands won’t make your life (or anyone else’s) better.  Regurgitating talk radio (am I dating myself?) or podcast feeds about ‘what’s wrong with the world’ won’t endear you to anyone who isn’t wed to the same narratives.  We need to see the world through better eyes and listen with more compassion.  

Perspective

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As I prepared to write this, I asked my new friend, ChatGPT, to give me the definition of ‘Perspective’. I got three answers (the 4o model seems more verbose than it’s predecessors) and this was one of them:

Mental Viewpoint:
Perspective is a particular attitude or way of thinking about something, often shaped by experience, culture, or context. For example, “From her perspective, the decision made sense.”

Then I asked for an image that represented the same. I’m not sure I completely understand the AI perspective on ‘Perspective’, but it is an interesting image.

Not unlike AI though, our minds and spirits (the part of us that lives in the earth suit of our bodies) is programmed, intentionally or otherwise. Part of the definition of ‘Perspective’ that says we are shaped by our culture and context. I would absolutely agree with that. Much of who I am as a person was shaped by my family and other life experiences. But what I didn’t figure out until much later in life was that you can intentionally shape your own perspective by curating your life. By this I mean by intentionally choosing things like:

  • Your daily practices and habits
  • Your friend group
  • Your work cadence and approach
  • Your social media and news feeds (or choosing not to have any)
  • How you treat other people
  • Your sense of gratitude

The great news is that all or at least most of this stuff is under your control. You just have to take that control. You may live in difficult circumstances, but that doesn’t have to mean that you are miserable. I have been acquainted with wealthy people, with every material comfort and blessing you could want, who are still deeply unhappy. I also have met children in the hills of Mexico, living in shacks without running water, who still play and laugh and enjoy their lives. Parking up in a yacht basin in the Caribbean won’t automatically make you happy, and waking up in an impoverished pueblo in Mexico won’t automatically make you weep.

For an even more stark example; the psychiatrist Victor Frankl was a prisoner in a concentration camp during WWII, living in the most appalling situation you can probably imagine. In the midst of this horror, Frankl concluded that that the primary human drive is not pleasure or power, but the pursuit of meaning. I visited the remains of the concentration camp at Dachau once. The still-palpable sense of darkness and heaviness is on that place, which the Germans have partially preserved as a stark reminder of that awful time in their history. Most of the barracks buildings are gone, and there is a beautiful memorial, but it’s still stark and foreboding. How could Frankl find that search for meaning when he faced this?

I would submit that he was able to do this through his perspective, or his control of it. To learn more, read ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’.

Another inspirational person from this time is Corrie Ten Boom. She was a Dutch watchmaker who helped Jewish people escape the holocaust before she and her family were swept up by the Nazis and sent to a concentration camp. She relied on her deep Christian faith to provide her perspective and sustain her through her ordeal. This is the approach I seek to rely on today to inform my perspective and guide me through my life. Read more about Corrie Ten Boom in her book ‘The Hiding Place’.

Memorial at Dachau – Photo by Author

No two of us has the exact same perspective, based on our life experience and context. We don’t get to choose where we come from. But we can control our perspective and outlook and how we choose to see and engage with the future. Having faith or a relationship with God, following positive practices, and choosing our responses can change everything. The good news is that the choice is in our hands and costs us nothing but focus and being intentional.

Gratitude

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I read a post this morning, written by a longtime acquaintance and colleague, discussing gratitude as a perspective.  He had taken a day off but ended up working on a customer problem instead of what he had originally intended.  Despite this, he was grateful for his work, his life situation and his opportunity to do something good for someone else.  

Why did he take the time to post this on his profile on a professional network? (this was not Facebook or Instagram, but rather LinkedIn)  I believe it’s because it is part of his practice of gratitude.  He was intentionally focusing on the most positive aspects of his experience and regarding the benefits of it as they apply to his life and outlook.  

A popular definition of gratitude is: ‘a feeling of appreciation by a recipient of another’s kindness.  This kindness can be gifts, help, favors or another form of generosity…’

The common Wikipedia definition of gratitude (excerpted above) is a ‘feeling’.  But I would submit that gratitude can and should be an intentional practice.  We should find something to be grateful for every day.  Why?

Being grateful focuses our minds on the good things in our lives.  It may be gifts, it may be love, companionship, employment, money, food, our positive displacement in the world, our personal situation or anything really.  You can be grateful for a beautiful sunrise, or simply that you were alive to see it.  Or that you had a warm, yummy cup of coffee or tea to enjoy while you admired it.  A good friend of mine often makes reference to his gratitude to the ‘Kind and Generous Universe”. 

Having a posture of gratitude can alleviate anxiety.  It can guard against depression.  Being grateful makes us better people, partners, family and friends.  Being grateful protects us from our culture’s constant drive to purchase and consume more.  The antidote to the false narrative that ‘having it all’ is the definition of happiness.  

Best of all, being grateful is free.  You don’t have to pay anyone or anything for a sense of gratitude.  It’s something you cultivate in your own mind/spirit/soul.  And, as my colleague demonstrated today, it can be contagious.  

Hint:  That’s why I’m sharing this now.