Hi, I’m Allen.
After decades of marriage, parenting, teaching, and just everyday life, I’ve learned that life’s most important lessons often come wrapped in ordinary days. Becoming a grandparent has only deepened that lesson—along with the ability to laugh at myself and the world around me.
What I share here isn’t Instagram-perfect—it’s honest stories of grace, growth, and insight, sometimes serious, sometimes lighthearted. If you’re looking for hope, encouragement, and the occasional laugh in the middle of real life, I’m glad you’re here.
The Accident That Changed Everything About three months after I graduated from high school in 1978, I suffered a very serious accident in the home where I grew up. My brother had dashed into the garage, pushing the kitchen door open as far as it would go. That door, with its heavy spring closer, was…
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Growing up, I thought my father was just being cheap—no air conditioning, a black-and-white TV, and hand-me-down clothes that set me apart. At the time it felt like nothing but frustration. With years and distance, I see every choice for what it was: a quiet act of sacrifice. The things that once confused me and embarrassed me became a clear lesson in love.
When Hurricane Harvey swept Houston’s Bay Area, I didn’t lose everything, but the storm unsettled me. Returning to class two weeks later, I faced students carrying grief far heavier than mine. Had I suffered a major loss like so many others, maybe the words would come easier. Monday couldn’t just be about economics—it had to be about steady ground and hope.
