dougfoster
Lowell Stories: Stalled On The Tracks (& more)
Dad never had a mishap when flying (well, not one that he couldn’t handle). But when it came to cars, he had some close calls. Here’s three of his car tales.
Lowell Stories: Would It Still Have Happened?
This is one of Dad’s “I’m lucky to be here” stories that he wrote down for us back in 1999. I swear (so did he) that man had a guardian angel watching over him.
Sometimes the backstory is the better story.
Often we’re so focused on the story that we miss appreciating why the story itself became a story. Every story has a backstory; sometimes it’s the better story.
“You want me to wear a hard hat? Really??”
Pictures can make your proof argument more impressive, but it’s hard to beat a live, in-person demo. And if you can’t do a live demo – try video. Take a look.
Make what you need. Solve the challenges.
“Engineering is the art of making what you want from things you can get.” It’s also learning to solve a boat-load of unplanned problems during the process.
It’s spectacular: Red Shirt Table Overlook.
On our way to Wounded Knee in the Badlands SD, we came to the crest of a hill. We were awestruck. The view was like nothing I had ever seen before.
“Well, hello good son. Where did the time go?”
Dad was my best friend. When we discussed topics, we’d leave each other with something to ponder. Two days before he passed away, he left me with a big one.
“Who am I? It’s not an easy question.”
Discovering who you are can be really tough. For me it happened when I was unemployed, had a wife and two children to support, and had to (re)write my resume.
Building a Geodesic Dome Home in Iowa
After college, I told a friend “We’re going to build a dome home.” He said, “If it was a regular house, it’d be like like an architect living in a mobile home.”
Machinist to ME – An Unplanned Life Change
I had just started at Iowa State. Reb’s mom and I were watching Saydel play their first football game of the season. “You didn’t know? Jeff committed suicide.”