A phone call to dream for?

These days my dreams have been rather tame, not to say boring. They’re definitely less stressful and I credit this to my meditation practice. This said, I have an original one to share with you. 

A few nights ago, I was in the middle of a dream in which I heard a persistent buzz, so after a significant while, I realized it might have been my phone buzzing. 

So, in my dream, I pulled my device out of my pocket and began to swipe its screen, swiped it and swiped it again and kept on swiping it to no avail until my vain efforts woke me up and I realized that the buzzing came out of my wife “buzzing” respiration (some less generous folks would call this “light snoring”!) 

So that this was the extent of my high-tech dream that realized itself into hard reality! It’s true that everyone wonders why it can be so hard to swipe a smartphone when taking a phone call? No one can deny that taking a phone call can be so difficult at times. It can be caused by touchscreen sensitivity, but most likely by slightly wet or cold fingers, perhaps a film to protect the screen, and some screens maybe more sensitive than others. 

The way we operate the swiping motion also requires precise swipe direction and speed, and may not register if not done right. Also Android and Apple handle calls answering slightly differently (Androids can be more finicky than iPhone’s) and, additionally, the specific implementation can vary between phone manufacturers and OS versions. 

There’s additionally the instance when we’re distracted or in a hurry that might make it harder to perform a correct swipe. Make sure the screen is clean and dry, swipe firmly and deliberately in the correct direction, don’t hesitate or don’t rush! If available, using a bluetooth headset can make answering calls much easier. 

By following these tips, we all could significantly improve our success rate when taking calls on smartphones or resolve complicated dreams like mine...

Fifty years ago, trip to Stans…

I still remember a trip I made fifty years ago, in March 1975 with Jean-Michel Lamy, sales director at Look. We flew from Charles de Gaulle to Zurich, Switzerland, to meet Gaston Haldemann, importer and distributor of Rossignol, Nordica, and Look in that country, and Kaspar Heutschi, his sales director. 

The meeting took place at Haldemann's offices in Stans, a small mountain town in the heart of Switzerland, in the canton of Niedwalden, an hour's drive south of Zurich. I knew the town because it was the home of the famous short-takeoff aircraft Pilatus Porter. 

Lamy, recruited from Peugeot in central France, had absolutely no idea about the ski industry and was a bit like a fish out of water, while Haldemann, who had devoted his entire life, energy, and passion to skiing, knew what he was talking about. 

An engineer by training, he was the inventor of the Rossignol Fiberglass, a hollow-core slalom ski that Adrien Duvillard had taken to America in 1963, where he scored some victories in the early days of the professional circuit. 

We had gone there to discuss the future of Look's racing program and its place within the company. Haldemann was neither impressed by the impact of ski racing on sales, nor enthralled by the way Look was run, particularly by the company's lack of innovation. 

The meeting had achieved little, but it had called into question the costly investment the company was making in its racing department. Clear-eyed, I realized that this cost would ultimately strangle the company's future, resulting in its takeover by Bernard Tapie in 1983 for one symbolic French franc.

Skiing and… falling!

This video made from videos from the 2024-2025 alpine racing ski season came to my attention and along with my wife, we managed to watch the full 24 minutes of its footage. 

That’s one reason why I decided to pass it on to you if you can stand the pain of watching excellent skiers take dismembering tumbles to keep you entertained! In addition, what I took away from this rough spectacle, is that it’s a learning lesson for all of us who ski, at any skill level, I should add. 

As for the rest of our lives’ moments, we learn significantly from our mistakes than our successes. For instance, as skiing goes, this clip shows that we all should avoid skiing too much on the inside ski, but everyone does it! 

We shouldn’t either initiate direction changes at the last fraction of second or lean too much forward. Another observation is that security fences aren’t not installed or created equally, as some still let skiers through them without slowing them down much. 

Well, in the end, I can only hope that these involuntary heroes are doing okay today, and won’t suffer too much as their bodies get older. 

Did I vote for Trump?

It appears to be so long that can’t really remember which president I voted for in 2024. I think I went for the loud candidate who promised to make America great again as I liked his red hat and his assured ways. He spoke a good game, and even as a very old guy, he looked more alive than his opponent who vaporized at the first debate. 

The loud candidate promised to eliminate illegal immigrants that were stealing our jobs and were for the most part criminals. I know, these folks were doing the work no “Anglo” would ever do, so that must be illegal! 

He also guaranteed to kill inflation, bring grocery prices back to pre-Biden levels, promised using tariffs to enrich the country and bring all manufacturing back home, balance the federal budget and cut taxes. 

He promised me miracles better than the ones expected in Lourdes, and that sounded good to me because I believe in things I like to hear, and I can see that he’s hyperactive and doing all kinds of big things all the time. 

He’s like a huge bull inside a tiny china shop, it’s full of action, it’s noisy, things fly around and it sounds just like he promised…

 

A day late and a dollar short?

The expression "a day late and a dollar short" simply means that something is both late and insufficient or inadequate, in other words it’s a way to describe a situation where an action or an effort is not only delayed in time but also lacks the necessary resources or quality to be effective. In fact, it’s “Too little, too late” backwards! 

This popular phrase is believed to have roots in African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and has gained popularity in the mid-20th century. Since the dollar had considerable purchasing power during that period in time, even a slight shortfall could have serious repercussions. 

The expression likely emerged as a poignant reflection of this era, emphasizing the importance of timely action and adequate resources. So, it’s better to write the important things you must do, down on yourr calendar, and be ready to offer something substantial enough when you feel compelled to do so. 

Anything past that prearranged time and its accompanying consideration, if it’s less than what’s expected, will make you look bad and will significantly aggravate your inexcusable time lag!

Turning imperfections or errors into gains!

Now and again, we unintentionally make mistakes and create imperfections, so is there a way we can turn these life blemishes into assets? I believe so, if we begin by recognizing that errors and imperfections are inevitable parts of life in general, and any process in particular. They’re in fact opportunities for learning and improvement. 

We just need to approach errors with curiosity rather than fear, identify their root causes, by digging a little deeper than usual, and asking questions like “What valuable insights did we learn from this experience and how can we prevent similar errors in the future?” 

That to me is the bare minimum of what we must do. We should also share these lessons with others to prevent them from reproducing the same mistakes and ask ourselves if there’s a way to turn them into innovations or product ideas. After all, many groundbreaking inventions and discoveries from Post-it notes to Penicillin have resulted from accidental errors or unexpected outcomes. 

We should also focus on solutions in using errors as feedback to refine our processes, products, or ideas. By changing our outlook and embracing imperfection instead of blaming ourselves or others, we’ll adopt a proactive approach to problems that will transform them from setbacks into powerful catalysts for growth and innovation. 

Let’s embrace "Happy Accidents" and let’s be open to serendipitous discoveries that may arise from our own mistakes!

When is the party over?

Sometimes, I wonder if there are stages in a man's life, let say between 60 and100 years where we observe critical degrading steps at specific intervals, or does it vary widely with individuals? It would be fun to know, wouldn’t it? 

Obviously, the trajectory of aging varies widely among individuals due to genetics, lifestyle, environment, and healthcare access play significant roles in determining the pace and nature of physical and cognitive changes as years go by. This said, some scientists have identified certain milestones of aging that are relatively typical. 

Around60-70 is a phase when visible signs of aging, like wrinkles, slower recovery times, reduced stamina, begin to increase. Muscle mass and bone density will decline if not actively countered through regular activity and proper nutrition. Some health issues, like heart disease or diabetes, may also become more pronounced. 

By the mid-70s, frailty becomes more common, and many begin to experience joint problems or mobility problems. Cognitive changes, such as mild memory lapses, can arise, without necessarily related to dementia. 

Age 80and beyond is when the risk of chronic illnesses and disabilities multiplies. Many of us require more support for daily activities. Cognitive decline begins showing up with some, and the risk of Alzheimer's or other dementia increases significantly. However, the luckiest of us remain cognitively and physically active. 

Again, there’s no universal rule. Some individuals in their 90s remain remarkably independent and active, while others may encounter significant challenges much earlier. Advances in medicine, technology, and an emphasis on preventive health measures are shifting these patterns, helping many of us maintain quality of life even into our later decades. 

So please, don’t despair, keep moving and hang in there!