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It is natural for people to fear change. Uncertainty, unfamiliarity and potential-loss-of-how-we’ve-always-done-it are stumbling blocks to trying something new.

But some of us seek change. I bought my first Kindle the week it was introduced, so that I could read books as I traveled without breaking my back carrying them. That doesn’t mean I don’t continue to buy, read, and love traditional books.

Spritz transforms the way we read, optimized for mobile technology. On their site, http://www.spritzinc.com, you can give it a try. I did. My top speed was 600 wpm. Wow. What a rush [pun intended].

Does that mean I will abandon lingering moments dwelling on words of poetry, or traditional reading (and re-reading) of favorite passages from novels? Certainly not. Reading for pleasure deserves time. But reading for information deserves speed. So I say, bring it on, Spritz. This really is a breakthrough.

Until today, I didn’t know my self-assessment quirk had a name, much less initials and a movement to make it worldwide. Live and learn. It turns out Quantified Self (QS, for short) has a website, meetings, and a host of fanatic followers.

For me, it all started with a fitbit. As an early adopter, mine arrived the day it came out. I used it, liked it, uploaded it, downloaded it, and lost it within a month. So I bought another, to keep my “quantified self” updated. But that little beauty popped off my belt in a month, too. Then instead, I tried Nike+. Arrived on launch day, strapped it on my wrist, and quantified myself to a fare-thee-well until the usb contacts corroded six months later. Got another one. Still going strong. Now, I’ve added Withings to my arsenal, one to measure weight/BMI, plus another device for blood pressure.

At my healthiest in decades, I’ve got the numbers to prove it. That’s my QS OCD.

In his book, “On Beyond Zebra”, Dr. Seuss challenged us to go beyond the known — beyond A to Z — to discover the unknown.

This past week, my third grandchild was born. I have now met the previously unknown, and eagerly look forward to what comes next.

Of course, he has a given name. But I’d like to give him the gift of a letter from “On Beyond Zebra”, the symbol unnamed, standing for what is still yet unknown:

All of us in Connecticut are praying for, and grieving with, the families of the children who were slain at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown.

All of us in America are struggling with two rights as citizens which now clash in mortal combat. The first, in our Declaration of Independence, is the right to life. The second, in a Constitutional Amendment, is the right to bear arms. On a continuing and increasing basis, the right to arms is killing our right to life.

It is now time to shift our national dialog from rights to responsibilities.

In my opinion, we, the people of the United States of America, have a prime responsibility to protect the precious and innocent lives of our children. In pursuing this belief, we must question any rights that interfere with carrying out this most important of all responsibilities. We must find the courage to stand up for those who can not protect themselves, and stand against those who would put personal rights above collective responsibilities for our children.

Many may hate me for what I have just written. Still, I hope many more will join in standing up for responsibilities to our children, and I pray for their wisdom.

If you agree, please pass this on.

12/12/12. If we were rolling dice, the chance for 12 to come up is tiny, at only 1 in 36 tries. The roll of two sixes is colloquially known as “boxcars.” In the calendar, the opportunity for this date to roll around is minuscule, only once every hundred years. I have dubbed today “Triple Boxcars” in its honor.

I invite all to follow the book I am writing, inspired by the exploits of my great-grandfather during the Civil War.  Just click this link: About My Work.

My grandson, Jack, is one month old today.

He is such a wonder, such a joy; he is one lovable, huggable boy.

Our home facing the Atlantic Ocean in Rhode Island is named The Beacon. We chose this in honor of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who is the Light of the world.

Hurricane Sandy recently devastated our shoreline and ravaged our house. We pray that, by the mercy and power of our Lord, Misquamicut will rise to thrive again and our home will be restored to the haven it has been for 100 years.

June 2012, Standing Tall, Unharmed before Hurricane