Posts by E.L. Chappel
Don’t Ask if You Don’t Want to Know–The benefits of reviews: the good, so-so and the “needs to improve.”
Those of you who follow my Facebook Fan Page know that I just returned from the first in a series of book promotional trips. If you’re not a follower, the journey was to the Experimental Aircraft Association’s annual fly-in where roughly 500,000 aviation enthusiasts gathered in Oshkosh, WI, to share flying experiences, swap airplanes, watch…
Read MoreSpirit Dance Fans at EAA AirVenture, Oshkosh
In and Out of Your Life
Do you ever think about what your days would be like if every person you have been friends with at one point, remained in your life? What if from the moment you met, you had to maintain a relationship with each individual? Birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, weddings, phone calls, lunches, emails; how many hours would…
Read MoreThe Gift of An Out
photo credit clipartpanda.com It’s always uncomfortable when someone calls you out on your stuff, but have you ever met a person who has a way of getting a point across without making you feel small? Who’s calm and centered amidst a full-blown rant, seemingly unaffected when being bombarded by another out of control human? Who…
Read MoreWhy I Became an Author.
This blog spun from the writing exercise I posted this morning on my Facebook Fan Page. Drills that were initially intended to improve my writing, but have somehow evolved into life lessons that nudge me along on my track. Who knew? Not a day goes by without someone asking a version of this question. “How…
Read MoreYour friends: In your face or behind your back?
During the remodel I didn’t travel. At all. To some extent, put my entire life on hold. I dropped out of golf, started working out at home, scaled back serving on charity boards, took sabbatical from lunches with friends and became very selective on which corporate events I attended for my husband’s job. For all…
Read MoreNeed or want? Me and my stuff.
A funny thing happens when you have your house torn down to the wood studs. As the demo crew hacked up the plaster walls, pulled out the frayed nob and tube electric, and disconnected the century-old rusting galvanized pipes, I felt dizzy. The way it might feel if you slashed a sharp knife across your…
Read MoreSymbols–How Oscar Meyer keeps me on track
In past posts I’ve written about teachers, mentors and situations that have edged me along on life’s path. Guides that have been invaluable in providing directions during my 47 years on the planet. Maybe you’ve had similar experiences. But as you plod ahead, taking their advice, have you ever wondered if you are on…
Read MoreLetting go–The high road: Real or an urban myth?
Have you ever been shouted at in public by a complete stranger? Flipped off while driving for no apparent reason? Rammed by an overly aggressive grocery cart? Disrespected and lashed out at by an individual in your life who’s really angry at someone else or an unrelated circumstance? I have. On more occasions than…
Read MoreKindness versus weakness: Does it have to be one or the other?
“Hello up there,” I shout, standing at the bottom of the proverbial hole that I swore to never step into again. “Hadn’t I learned this life lesson already?” With a heavy heart thumping in my chest, I conclude I still had work to do in order to move past this personal challenge. I’m easy. Especially…
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