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The Golden Rule…Silver Bullet To Common Ground & Peace Around The World (and at the dinner table)

In response to ongoing international crisis’s (Mid-East, Ukraine, etc.), religious animosities, domestic polarization AND a long conversation I had with a family member, we boiled everything down to The Golden Rule as being the North Star. We decided that it’s a workable common denominator for a pathway out of the forrest of hate that we seem to be lost in.

That said, we agreed that there are some circumstances when application of The Golden Rule will be bumpy at best and impossible at worst. Those situations are when moral values and deeply entrenched beliefs distort what should be uniform implementation of The Golden Rule

Examples:

The pro-life vs. pro-choice debate. The Golden Rule only works when each side operates in somewhat of a Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) mode. To express it more bluntly, I may want to punch you but I also don’t want to be on the receiving end of your punch. Therefore, we both refrain from punching. This equilibium breaks down in the debate arena on matters such as pro-life vs. pro-choice.

The same break down occurs in other debates where morality, beliefs, religion, blind patriotism, cultish indoctrination, misinformation, indoctrination and good old fashioned hatred, prejudice and racism all cloud what should be the clear eyed logic of The Golden Rule. If either side in the Golden Rule equation suffers from blurred vision (like a person who has cataracts), the rule falls short.

Topics such as capital punishment, assisted suicide/right-to-die, and even the gun rights/restrictions debates do not fit neatly in the Golden Rule equation.

Despite the afore mentioned limitations, The Golden Rule remains important in its simplicity. It lacks the complexity of the bible, the tora, the quoran and the US tax code (well maybe that document doesn’t belong mixed in with these documents). Also, in the midst of any heated argument, whether it’s between family members, irate drivers, poitical parties or even nations, The Golden Rule can act as a “time out” when the conflicting parties can take a deep breath and reassess if this really is the path they want to follow. Unfortunately, The Golden Rule will fall flat for those who are hell bent on breaking it due to whatever distorted visions, motivations and beliefs drive them.

The bottom line…keep The Golden Rule for its beautiful simplicity and its applicability to most of lifes situations. It serves as a sound-bite conscience for most of us who have a conscience. However, be aware that not everybody plays by the rules or they twist the rules to fit their circumstances.

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Just get me 5 votes….

Greg Dunn

**It may count but how and where do we find you and how do we get you to vote**

I was inspired to write this blog because of that infamous conversation Trump had with the Georgia Secretary of State asking him to FIND votes. Actually “inspired” is probably the wrong word. “Repulsed” is a better fit. However, it got me to thinking…..Can I find 5 persons who I can convince to vote in support of my candidte in the 2024 election?

My answer: Other than finding 5 members of the BASE (and I’m not sure of who and where these folks are so I can approach them), I seriously doubt there are 5 persons who I can convince, convert, or motivate in time for November 2024.

This is why:

Extreemly polarized persons. Minds are made up.

Extreemly indecisive persons. They are forever fence sitters. (Tip: don’t stand behind them in line at the grocery store when the clerk ask “paper or plastic”, you will be there all day)

Extreemly disgusted, disgrunteled, disconnected and distrustfull persons. They are the folks that say things like ….”their all crooked”, “life’s a bitch and then you die”, “it’ll never change”, “the deck is stacked against us”.

Extreemly disinterested persons. They’re folks that say thinks like…”I don’t follow politics” or “that doesn’t concern me”. Getting these folks to vote would be like getting someone who hates broccli to try it. For the record, I’m ok with broccli.

And that brings me back to THE BASE. These are the persons who already support your candidate. We can count on the strong supporters to be voters. It’s those who are lackadasical that we need to make sure they get to the polls. For me, this is what the term “growing the base” means. Time, energy and resources spent on any of the other folks listed in this article might be wasted. The ROI (Return On Investement) concerning them is probably negligible. If we do not sufficiently identify and motivate this “silent majority” among THE BASE and turn them out in such significant numbers so that the opposition is trounced, the election and possibly our democracy is lost.

One last note, so I do not leave with the impression that I have given up on conversing and convincing others. I recently did some soul searching thinking about when was the last time I had a conversation or read or heard something in which I changed my mind or garnered a new perspective. For me it was reading the memoir of Sarah McBride (Titled: Tomorrow Will be Different: Love, Loss & the Fight For Trans Equality). I wanted to give her a shout-out because it provided me with an in-depth understanding and appreciation for issues affiliated with LGBTQ and Trans Persons.

I added this comment since it’s my observation that unless the person you are recruiting to vote in support of your candidate experiences some sort of epithamy, they are not budging from their opposition or their inertia. Since I’m a history buff always watching for the arc of history, I offer the following waatershed moments in USA history when THE BASE sufficiently expanded to enable a redirection of the course of history.

These moments/movements were:

Abolition and the end of slavery (though in many ways the civil war continues)

Suffraget movement…giving women the right to vote.

WW2….collective understanding that we had to crush Hitler and the Japanese emperor

The New Deal and the start of something called Social Security (granted it took The Great Depression for people to warm up to this idea)

The civil rights movement. End of Jim Crow, segregation, etc.

End of the Vietnam war. Recognition that it was time to leave

So what’s the WATERSHED moment we are living in right now? Are we in a watershed moment? I fear we are NOT at that inflection point. There I go again being a glass-half-empty guy. The existential threat posed by global warming is not yet garnering the urgency and collective action required for real change. Hell, the pandemic didn’t create societal solidarity since we continued to quibble about masking, opening/closing schools & businesses and debating the origins of the damed thing.

Oh well, I still support thinking globally and acting locally so I guess I will get busy searching for those 5 votes.

Politics

History

Social Commentary

Communications Strategy

Written by Greg Dunn

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Boomer who’s a late bloomer to writing/blogging and loving it! Published novel MALL CHILD based on 15 years as weekend mall cop & 40 years as city planner

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Provocative questions, food for thought, new perspectives

Strategic questioning & storytelling sometimes can unlock a closed mind

In this world of misinformation, polarization and indoctrination, it occurred to me that sequencing of questions peppered with personal reflections might plant the seeds for critical thinking and healthy skepticism.

It all started with a conversational thought experiment I decided to launch with current and former cops and correction officers. Why them? Being an Irish-American, cops were the dominant profession among my ancestors. Having retired after 17 years working weekends as a mall cop, I rubbed shoulders with many who engaged in the criminal justice field and many “wanna-be-cops”. My career in non-profits and community development enabled me to network with folks working in the fields of probation, addiction rehabilitation, and community policing.

To all of the above referenced persons, I posed the following question:

“Who was the most vile, bad ass, despicable person you ever experienced during your career?”

Predictable responses included: murderers, rapists, abusers and persons consumed with evil intent.

NEVER mentioned were the following persons: trans persons, gay persons, undocumented immigrants, poor persons and those who are recipients of public assistance such as welfare or food stamps.

Upon vocalizing this observation, their response was NEVER any sort of epiphany but I sense that a seed of logic might have been planted.

To personalize the conversation, I shared information that one of the most abhorrent persons I encountered was a guy I worked with who murdered a 13-year-old boy. I would never have guessed that he could have done such a heinous act. I followed up this observation with a notation that he was a product of our school system, hiding in plain sight, performing his job. In sum, by all appearances he was your traditional USA citizen.

Then I decided to broaden my Socratic questioning to ALL persons that I encountered in the course of my travels. This included family, friends, acquaintances and even casual encounters if the conversational questioning seemed appropriate.

My questions to all of the above persons were the following:

“If you were bullied anytime in your life, what was the racial/ethnic background of your tormenter? The bullying could have included physical shoving on the playground, verbal taunting, social out casting via “mean girls” or whatever abuse you experienced either as a child or in the workplace”.

Why did I select bullying as the topic of my questioning? Sadly, it has been experienced by almost everyone if not directly or at least secondarily as an observer.

In NONE of the responses were there any references to being bullied by any of the following persons: trans persons, gay persons or undocumented immigrants.

Interesting

To personalize my own bully experience and build conversational rapport, I reflected on my bully-journey. It included 3 kids in grammar school all of whom were fellow Irish-Americans. To one of them I delivered a fat lip. To this day, I always wondered why I didn’t get in trouble with the nuns for clocking him. Maybe they didn’t like him either. The other two Irish-Americans realized how ballistic I can become and they steered clear. There was an Italian-American who harassed other kids on the bus and on the day that I showed up with a cast on my right hand, he decided to take advantage. To that I informed him that I would shove that cast where-the-sun-don’t-shine. That was the end of his bully career with me. The right hand healed well and to this day at age 70, I still land a mean right jab.

During my career there was the African-American boss who called me to her office to inform me that my salary was being cut by $20,000. This was done for no apparent reason. My performance record was fine and there appeared to be no agency budget shortfalls. When I asked if I was being reduced to part-time status, she smiled and responded “no”. It all seemed arbitrary and capricious. Welcome to workforce bully culture. I immediately job searched, landed a better job and never looked back.

NONE of the tormenters in my life, to the best of my knowledge, had trans or gay or undocumented immigrant status. When sharing this observation during surveys, the response was generally awkward silence, eye contact disconnects or a changing of the subject. Had there been any attitudinal shift? Probably not but at least a line-in-the-sand had been drawn. They now know where I stand. We can now decide whether there’s any value in sharing each other’s social orbit.

Back when the evil boss financially chopped me at the knees (I had just paid for braces for one of my kid’s teeth), two of my cousins cut checks to soften the financial blow. These cousins are much better off than me financially and I was eternally grateful.

This got me to thinking about asking the following Socratic question to all persons that I encounter:

“In your life, has there ever been a really rich person (I’m referring to a millionaire or billionaire) who has helped you financially? Did they provide a job offer during your time of employment need? Who in your life has been a mentor in terms of your career and life? Who can you depend upon to be a financial and emotional angel in troubled times?”

Unsurprisingly, there was NEVER any mention of millionaires or billionaires.

To this I posed the question:

“If those millionaires and billionaires were to pay a SLIGHTLY higher share of the tax burden, how would that adversely affect you? I follow up this question with a notation that they obviously are not helping you NOW so what would be the harm in MAKING them help you out?”

Again, the observation and line of questioning is met with a quizzical look mixed with skepticism. It reminds me of when your pet cocks his head trying to discern an instruction that has been given. No immediate result but a seed of doubt has been planted. A crack has formed in the wall of propaganda about how the masses will suffer if the rich BEGIN to pay their fair share.

What’s your thoughts? What Socratic questions might you pose? What are your observations? For more of mine, check out my website/blogs and my novel at www.dunnwriteswell.com

If only my younger self had bought a limited equity housing cooperative!

Live, shop, play, learn, socialize affordably for the balance of your life

Now that I’m retired and the mortgage is paid off after 30 years concurrently juggling three jobs, I’m wondering what path might have been more affordable and rewarding. My answer: limited equity housing cooperatives.

Let me set the stage:

I was fresh out of graduate school and landed my first job working as an urban planner for the city of Norwalk CT. That’s the good news. The bad news was I was flat broke. Didn’t even have enough for a rental deposit. As luck would have it, I found a rooming house a couple of blocks from the office. The landlord interviewing me in the lobby noted he had a room available in the attic. No kitchen and I had to share the bathroom on the 2nd floor. Behind me as we spoke was a big sign that read “Legal Rooming House, Occupancy for 1st and 2nd floor ONLY”. Like every landlord, he asked “where do you work?”. When I told him it was at the Planning & ZONING office there was a long pause. That’s when we both realized that we needed each other. He needed a quality tenant and I needed a place to live and so began many months of climbing the ladder that led to my fire trap attic room. I noticed that there was no baseboard or radiator so it was unheated but that’s ok since heat rises and the attic never got too cold. I also noticed that there was only 1 window so if there was a fire I envisioned jumping out and landing on the roof over the front door. That scenario worked for me until I realized that flames might be leaping out the 2nd floor windows. Fortunately, such scenarios never occurred. Paying for meals eventually got too expensive so I managed to save up money for another rooming house that was a step up from the current one.

At my second rooming house, I had a kitchenette along with my bedroom. I still had to share a bathroom that was down the hall but like they said in the old TV show “The Jeffersons” I was “moving on up!” This bathroom down the hall was not without its challenges. The woman who lived at the end of the hall had filled it with plants to the point at which it seemed like I was peeing in a jungle. The walls were paper thin and the doors were hollow. Everything could be heard. Arguments, organisms and persons shouting at themselves alone in their rooms. I felt like I was an actor in the movie “One Flew Over The Coocoos Nest”. Many a morning I was woken by the crackle of the police radio as an arrest warrant was being served. It wasn’t all bad. I recall a conversation with a guy down the hall who mentioned how he woke up in Chicago and had no idea how he got there. Nice guy but severe alcoholic who discussed his rifle. I never saw the rifle.

Time again to “move on up”. So, I rented a first-floor apartment with two guys who were about my age. We got along great. In fact, both of them ended up as ushers when I got married a few years later. However, this place was not without some issues. Water leaking thru the ceiling fixture in the kitchen. Water and electricity never a good combination. Wall in shower falling apart. And then there was the guy who lived upstairs. He had a strong resemblance to Chuck Norris and he adapted his persona. His 357 Magnum which he fondly referred to as a “hand cannon” was treated like a family member, actually treated better than his own family.

Time was moving on. People were getting married. Houses were being bought. That’s when I jumped on the opportunity to buy a one-bedroom condominium in Bridgeport CT during the hot condo craze of the 1980’s. Big mistake but then again, I was slowly pursuing the American Dream. I moved from rooming houses to rentals to a condominium. Long story short, the market crashed and so did the neighborhood and the condo which evolved into a rental complex.

By this time, I was married and still pursing that elusive American Dream. Saved up and built a house in the distant suburbs. Another big mistake. Both my late wife and I lost our jobs soon after the house was built and that was about the time my kids arrived. The American Dream turned into a nightmare. Thus began my 30-year odyssey of working three jobs concurrently to stay above the financial water line while every waking minute was spent paying for housing. Went back to renting for one year and bought a fixer upper in a town with a good school system. That town and school system has been good to me. The problem was that the fixer upper never got fixed up. Houses are like humans. They age with time and they must be maintained.

Never had a snowflake chance in hell of ever owning anything in high priced Norwalk CT where at least 15 years of my working career was based. Add another 15 years of working at jobs in even more costly housing priced Stamford CT and I was doomed to be a long-distance commuter.

That brings me around to my fantasizing about how life might have been different had there been an opportunity to invest in a limited-equity housing cooperative in Norwalk. I think about all that commuting that I could have avoided. I could have gotten more engaged in the community where I worked. I could have pursued hobbies, broadened my horizons and maybe even gone on a vacation. In sum, I could have had time to breath and as they say “smell the roses”. I could have secured an affordable roof over my head. I could have had some assurance of not living at the whim of rent increases. I could have not spent over 30 years house-poor pretending that I “owned” a house when actually the bank “owned” me. With Norwalk as my “home base” and assuming that I worked all the jobs I had in Fairfield County, I could have parlayed the savings generated by the affordability of cooperative housing into investment accounts and built up a much more substantial nest egg for retirement.

So why didn’t I follow the limited-equity cooperative housing path?

The simple answer is that they did not exist then and they do not exist in Connecticut today. There are some housing cooperatives in CT but they are few and far between and they are not without issues. I heard there was a cooperative in Norwalk by the name of Dreamy Hollow but it’s anything but dreamy. There’s a massive cooperative housing complex with at least 600 units in Bridgeport named Success Village but its actually a dismal failure. So much so that the site is now bankrupt and in receivership. There’s a cooperative complex in Bridgeport’s south end named Seaside Village and another in Bridgeport’s east end. Both sites are very attractive and almost have a quaint English village appearance. However, they are in neighborhoods suffering from years of deterioration and decline. So much so that it raises questions as to what amount of equity could be built up in the limited-equity cooperative model. A friend of mine checked into cooperatives in another Connecticut city and described the building as prison-like within a very troubled neighborhood.

As a Boomer whose paid off his mortgage and looking to downsize and live out my life, I’m looking for a safe, clean, affordable place where I can ride out into the sunset. The limted equity housing cooperative would match my needs if only I could find one. I’m certainly not alone in these circumstances so it would seem like there would be a demand to create such housing models.

And then there’s my adult children who all are working but have no hope of joining the first rung of the ownership ladder. They are stuck with the choice of paying exorbitant rents and filling the pockets of landlords OR making a housing purchase that will keep them in debt the rest of their life living house poor. They’ve given up that fixation of owning a house in the burbs. They and I are hungry for a lifestyle in which you are not entirely car dependent, you live where there is a sense of community and mutual support and you have more time to breath.

If only there were limited equity housing cooperatives back when I was a young man. If only there are such places today for my own kids for the next generation.

Boomer Barracks?

The future of elderly housing?

We worked all our life

Played by the rules

Saved and invested

Bought the American Dream, bought the house, paid off the mortgage

Raised the kids, paid for education

And now what?

Increasing property taxes, insurance co-pays, cost of living

Decreasing Medicaid, Medicare and social security benefits

But I’m a Boomer who’s ready for this and here’s why:

I’ve been a minimalist all my life.

In winter I have a coat. In summer I have a bathing suit.

I have one suit. Just enough for the occasional wedding, funeral or special occasion.

My dad passed away some years ago and he was somewhat of a “clothes horse”. I will never have to buy another shirt or tie (not that I really need one of those now that I’m retired) for the rest of my life. He even had underwear that was still in original packaging (but I guess that might be too much information).

I’ve worked at 2 and 3 jobs concurrently for the last 40 years and never went on a real vacation which I’ve heard consists of going somewhere for two weeks to basically do nothing or supposedly have fun.

So, I guess you could say that I’m regimented and fully acclimated for what’s next……The Boomer Barracks

Up at sunrise, in bed by sunset

3 hots and a cot. What more do I need?

Break my arm and I’ll be patched up

Need socialization, there’s the mess hall

Need exercise, there’s the daily drills which I already do and enjoy quite a bit.

What will I do to earn my keep?

I still enjoy shoveling snow in winter, raking leaves in the fall and cutting the grass in summer. As for the spring, I guess I could take up gardening which is something I intending to do anyways given the need to become more self-sufficient.

I’m not much of a mechanic or fixer but I do have years of life and work experience and a passion for the humanities and social sciences. So maybe I could be a mentor to youth to share my interests in subjects such as history, geo-politics, philosophy and religion. At the very least, I could draw from at least four careers that could provide insight to youngsters when they are asked that annoying question “What do you want to do when you grow up? And for college students when asked “So what is your major?”

Maybe to bus could occasionally bring me to the school or college where I could impart this knowledge and experience. Maybe even give me a taste of what can be expected long after I’m gone. Hopefully that will be a sweet taste and not a sour one.

Yes, I’m ready for the Boomer Barracks in the sunset of my life. I know it sounds harsh but I’m craving the simplicity, the affordability, the predictability and the opportunity to give back even if only in a small way.

Speaking of harsh, I pause to reflect upon my ancestors in midlands England working in the mines, textile factories and the workhouses. History has a way of repeating itself but with some luck my Boomer Barracks will be a more pleasant workhouse.

Original work by Greg Dunn February 2026 and for more blogs/writings go to http://www.dunnwriteswell.com 

Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker: Back when Capitalism was young & good & virtuous

When capitalism was young, rebellious and innocent

We’ve all grown up hearing this phrase in our childhood fables. I only recently connected these occupations to the origins of capitalism.

Before there was capitalism, there was feudalism. That was when all the power was vested in the church, the nobility (kings, lords, etc.) and the landed gentry (aka, land owners). But capitalisms roots were planted with the merchant class and the tradespersons. This included the butcher, baker, candlestick maker, blacksmith, tailor, etc.

With the rise of this fledgling “worker class, skilled trades, small businesses and financiers”, there coincided a decline in the aristocracy and power of the church. Rising capitalism was in conjunction with the enlightenment period and the decline of serfdom (especially in western Europe). The butcher, baker, candlestick maker and all the other tradespersons of that era created things, provided supplies in response to demands (textbook economics level 101), competed fairly and served local needs. This was a true meritocracy in the sense that the more skilled you were at your trade, the more profitable you became. This was an era when apprectiship and mentorship was the business model and skills were passed down from one generation to the next. That explains why so many persons today with western European origins have surnames that include: Baker, Smith, Taylor, etc. And let’s not forget about the candlestick maker. Today that craft is relegated to artisan folk art demonstrations but back in the medieval times before electricity, they would be comparable to today’s electricians.

The “original capitalism” was young, wholesome, innovative and dynamic. There was true innovation, growth, reward for creativity, flexibility and ingenuity. These are the characteristics that the current day capitalism claims to have but does not live up to.

With the passage of time and the agglomeration of wealth, assets and monopolies, came a “hardening of the arteries” of commerce, innovation and opportunity. Fixation on economies of scale, efficiencies of production and a growing disconnect between the boss and the worker morphed young capitalism into today’s version of an impersonal juggernaut that’s “too big to fail”. The local butcher and baker have been replaced by chain stores. Candles are mass produced in factories. Tailoring is a dying art since worn-out clothes are simply replaced by new clothes purchased at clothing store chains (or more likely purchased on-line). Skills and practical know-how passed down from one generation to the next generation during the early stages of capitalism are now rare. Nowadays, we have a mass production formula for education which imparts the basic reading-writing-arithmetic (though that’s debatable in many underfunded school districts). What we have lost is pride in performance, demand for quality, resilience and confidence that only comes from apprentices and mentorships. They were the bedrock of the early capitalist, mercantile and trade systems. In contrast, late-stage capitalism is flush with money, power and assets horded by monopolies. Today’s capitalism dampens the creativity, innovation and flexibility that used to be its “secret sauce”. Ask anybody how difficult it is to start up a business, expand a business, invent something or try a new technique or strategy and you will get a taste of capitalism in decline. Governmental and corporate arteries have hardened to the point that late-stage capitalism is cannibalizing itself. The merger of Wall Street and Main Street in this Ponzi scheme prioritizes short term profiting over long term growth. Local and micro-economies were replaced by commodification and financialization creating the perfect storm for the demise of capitalism.

Bracing for the impact of this demise, there are some alternatives that might soften the blow. It’s time to hark back to the origins of capitalism with the rise of home grown and localized businesses in keeping with the original traditions of the butcher, baker, candlestick maker (etc.) The advent of 3-D printers, Makerspace workshops, home businesses, backyard gardens, remote work/remote learning might provide an alternative. The new capitalism will require a return to micro-economies grounded in mutual assistance, food exchanges, time/task banking, cooperative housing, cooperative businesses and bartering. Maybe the butcher, baker, candlestick maker and fellow journeymen of yesteryear might finally regain the respect that they deserve.

What’s your thoughts, observations and suggestions concerning this topic?

My New Year Resolution Concerning Social Media Alternatives

Focus on Solutions not Scrolling

I will still scroll (aka…lurk) on social media sites such as Facebook and NextDoor because they offer ground level (sadly often poisoned ground) observations and analysis of events and attitudes. I wish to remain “in-the-know”, especially since I dropped my cable TV service to save over $100/month. Some discussions on platforms are insightful and engaging while others are crude and hateful. I will remain appreciative of the good and wary of the bad.

One of my resolutions for 2026 is to shift my writing, analysis, observations and proposals over to my blogging and my website (www.dunnwriteswell.com).

Why?

Upon reading a post or analysis that I appreciate and agree with, I will compliment it following the adage “give credit where credit is due”. If I have something to add, I will direct them to my website highlighting a blog appropriate to that topic. My goal is to build alliances and nurture meaningful discussions.

Upon reading a post or analysis that I respectfully disagree with or feel that a perspective might be missing, I will direct traffic to my website and any blog(s) that pertain to that topic. My goal is to engage in civil dialogue and drill down further into the pros/cons of a matter that might be of mutual interest. I’m trying to engage in critical thinking for the enlightenment of all parties and possibly sway the opinions and attitudes of all participants. This includes myself in keeping with the adage “an old dog can learn new tricks”.

Upon reading any post or comment that I find to be abhorrent, I’m likely to disregard it since I’ve reached an age and stage in life when I don’t have the time, energy and patience to contend with idiocy and immorality. If the post includes something that just can’t be ignored or if there is a flagrant lie that must be addressed, I may call them out and direct them to a blog that may (or may not) unlock what seems to be a closed, hateful mind. This avoids the social media rabbit hole of tit-for-tat ranting, raving, insulting. There exists the extreme outside chance that my blog concerning this contentious topic might trigger an epiphany but I’m not holding my breath waiting. If they respond with insults or descend into a dialogue of racism, misogyny, sexism, homophobia or other cesspool, I can simply block them. A further advantage to disengaging from the social media circus is that I will not be pandering to or arguing with bots, fueling click bait and feeding algorisms of negativity and hate.

Last, but not least, my blogs and website will represent a legacy of thought and perspectives that can be an intergenerational legacy for my children and future generations. This will be a modern version of a traditional diary that can provide insight into the life, times, thoughts, emotions and observations of my time on earth. Now isn’t that better than engaging in the drivel of social media which I consider a never-ending episode of The Jerry Springer Show?

My inspiration for this New Years Resolution was a YouTube presentation describing how thoughtful, insightful, critical thinkers and philosophers during the chaotic years of the decline of the Roman empire secluded themselves in monasteries in remote regions. In so doing, they kept alive learned civilization and the ability to read, write and think. Fast forward to today and we may be at a similar inflection point. Retreating to seclusion, contemplation and learning may save oneself and preserve society for a future day. However, it speeds the decent into chaos because nobody is left in society to call out the lies, deceit, idiocy and hatred. On the other hand, those who remain in society to confront the darkness head-on are likely to find themselves ostracized and ignored at best and martyred at worst. My strategy with this New Years Resolution is the straddle these extreme scenarios.

Full disclosure, there is a selfish motive for my proposing what I’m calling an “Intelligent Exiting of Social Media”. When I direct friends, foes and everyone in between down this exit ramp to my blogs and website (www.dunnwriteswell.com) I’m also linking them to my novel (Mall Child) which includes many of the themes that are baked into my blogs. My hope is that allies will gobble up the book, the undecided will purchase out of curiosity and maybe even some hostile naysayers will consider purchasing.

I’d love to know your thoughts concerning this proposal and any suggestions you have with regard to navigating social media, retaining our sanity, combatting idiocy, focusing on solutions and leaving a positive legacy.

Greg Dunn

Boomer Bungalows?

What every low to moderate income Boomer dreams of!!

These cold winter nights in New England have me dreaming of a beachfront bungalow.

But some equally harsh economic weather has this boomer contemplating bungalow alternatives.

High cost “luxury” rental apartments and astronomically costly assisted senior housing developments abound in our over-priced corner of the world in Fairfield County Connecticut.

I finally paid off my mortgage and find myself in an empty nest which makes me consider downsizing. I checked out new apartments recently built 1 block from my house and discovered that the one- and two-bedroom units cost anywhere from $2,000 to $3,000+ per month. That’s more than I ever paid for my mortgage even in the highest paying years. Plus, there is the unsettling fear that any apartment I move into will be subject to ever increasing rent hikes. These luxury complexes boast amenities none of which interest me. They advertise pools that I consider to be oversized tubs. Full disclosure, I’m an avid lap swimmer at a nearby gym and the cost is currently covered by my Medicare Advantage plan. I’m considering switching to Medicare Supplement since I’m hearing that as persons get older and sicker, that’s the plan to be enrolled in. Thankfully, as of today, my health is fine but I’m already planning ahead to using the towns outdoor pools (which are wonderful) to continue my swimming routine at least for 3 months of the year.

I’m delving into this personal detail to explain why I don’t need all the costly “bells & whistles” that accompany upscale apartment complexes and these “resort style” assisted senior residences that can cost in excess of $5,000/month. I’m a minimalist. Have been this way all my life. I can fit in a 300 square foot studio and I consider a 400 square foot one bedroom apartment palatial. I hear fellow boomers complain of downsizing and needing to rent space at storage facilities. I’m not judging them or trying to tell them what do. However, I don’t have the emotional attachment or the deep financial pockets for paying for storage space or renting living space that exceeds what I need on a day-to-day basis. A kitchenette, a Murphy bed and an area for some work space and lounging is all I need (in addition to a bathroom of course).

I can’t be alone in these circumstances where I’m on a fixed income with moderate savings (by national standards) living a minimalist lifestyle consuming little and requiring limited space. Why can’t folks like me live out our lives with simplicity and the predictability of affordable payments. It’s not that I’m asking to live rent-free. I just want “three hots’ and a cot” and minimum paperwork.

And that brings me back to my original statement that my mortgage is paid off and I’m over-housed in an empty nest. Technically, that’s an advantage, but in my case, I have lived all these years in what I describe as “a fixer upper that never got fixed up”. Deferred maintenance, presence of mold & asbestos in old housing stock, escalating tax/insurance burdens and the lack of handicap accessibility reduce the likelihood of aging-in-place. This perfect economic storm limits the profit margin of any sale of the house further closing the door on the opportunity to “roll over” to a smaller but more costly rental or ownership scenario. I am not alone among boomers who are facing this economic, structural and societal rubric cube dilemma. I can’t move down on the housing ladder and young families needing a house cannot move up so the housing log-jam persists.

My dream of a Boomer Bungalow can only be realized if a land trust is created to make the land upon which the bungalows sit become affordable. It’s the exorbitant and speculative land costs that sets in motion the afore mentioned housing crisis. The proceeds from my house sale, even if they are relatively moderate, can be rolled over to fund the small studio. If enough of these studios can be created on “affordable” land, we might create an economy of scale to make this project work. What if, for example, there were 10 boomers who each rolled $100,000 into the creation of 300 square foot studios. With this $1 million capital base (10 X $100,000) and if we kept the cost/square foot to $330 for these 300 square foot studios, we might be able to get this constructed. Last but not least, once it’s constructed, I propose that it be operated as a cooperative housing site where the monthly fee paid by each household is limited to meeting daily operating expenses and setting aside reserve for replacements and upgrades as needed. The residents of the “cooperative” would be in charge of setting the fees following the mantra of “only pay for what you need and set aside what you need in the future”. This avoids the “rent increase trap” of traditional renting from a landlord who can arbitrarily raise the rent. As I noted earlier, my goals for sunset years include affordability, predictability and simplicity in a safe, clean, handicap accessible residence. This Boomer Bungalow scenario matches my needs and I’m sure many more boomers harbor this dream. Now we just have to implement it.

4 questions to determine compatibility, logic and trustworthiness

We as individuals and as a society need to be able to respect and trust eachother if we are to survive

As I scroll thru social media, conduct business, attend meetings, knock on doors and make phone calls while canvassing, I crave the following in all relationships:

Compatibility (aka, likability) with the other person

Logic (aka, consistency, dependability) with the other person

Trustworthiness of the other person.

I can put up with some quirkiness if the other person meets the aforementioned characteristics. For example, the person might believe that the world is flat. I disagree and by all indications this position is fallacious. Likewise, there are some persons who insist that the moon landing never occurred. We can differ as to whether there was only one assassin of JFK or maybe there were multiple shooters. However, nobody is being directly harmed by these beliefs and barring too many other outlandish opinions, I could probably maintain a copasetic relationship.

I can also appreciate that there are some differences of opinions and beliefs that are non-negotiable for some people due to deep-seated religious or moral reasonings. Examples might be “Pro-Life vs. Pro-Choice” or the “Death Penalty pros-cons”. These are rabbit holes that I chose to NOT go down as long as the following criterias are met:

I find the person compatible/likeable

I acknowledge their right to their position (and they acknowledge the right to my positions/opinions).

I can maintain some level of trustworthiness that is grounded in mutual respect

So, what might be the litmus test that determines “go” or “no-go” with this person in business and personal relationships? The following four situational questions will determine for me if continued engagement with the other person is worth the time and effort.

When Biden became president did you believe that the election was stolen?
Do you believe that the Jewish holocaust by Nazi Germany did not happen?
Do you believe that the mass shooting of the school children in Newtown CT was fake news?
Do you believe that all the participants of the January 6th insurrection at the U.S. Capital should have been pardoned?

If you answered YES to any or all of these questions, there is no point to going further in our business or personal relationship. Any “YES” answer is for me “a bridge too far”.

If you answered “I don’t know” or “I don’t wish to comment” or “I don’t really care or I have no opinion” concerning any or all of the aforementioned questions, this tells me volumes about you. None of which is positive. It raises questions about your level of empathy, your consciousness about the world around you, your courageousness to take a stand and express an opinion. No matter how friendly you might be or how skilled you are at what you do, these types of answers make me question your reasoning abilities, your critical thinking and moral grounding. From this point onward, my compatibility and trust level is greatly diminished. I’ve gotten to the point in life when I no longer have the time, energy and patience to deal with persons who make such responses.

Now it’s your turn to ask questions of me to determine if I am the sort of person that you might need to terminate any business or personal relationship. What might be some beliefs and opinions that I hold which you find so odious and incomprehensible that you would need to sever ties?

I’m curious concerning what situational questions you might pose to me which, depending upon my responses, would make you question my compatibility, likability, logic and trustworthiness.

As always, I look forward to any and all feedback.

Upon reflection and clearer vision, certain things no longer appeal to me

Football season is fully underway and usually I would be hooting and howling at every spectacular catch. I still appreciate a good play but I can’t get out of my head the image of some players beating their wives and driving recklessly.

The Olympics and soccer world cup are on the horizon to include USA sites. I certainly support our teams. However, I’m more interested in record breaking performances and magnificent physicality no matter what uniform the player wears.

Election season is fully underway and I still appreciate the value of voting and the democratic process. But the specter of corruption, dark money and jerrymandering has jaded me. I’m dreading the presidential debates and the State of The Union addresses since they have deteriorated into shouting matches and dog & pony shows.

I still engage in light hearted conversations spanning the topics of weather, sports and traffic but I hunger for more substantive, meaningful exchanges.

I’ve pursued the American Dream, got educated, raised kids, bought cars and property, paid off all debts. I’ve lost my appetite for more. Maybe it’s exhaustion, maybe it’s regrets, maybe it’s a textbook case of pyrrhic victory.

I got rid of my tv’s and saved over $100/month. Now I just watch in-depth videos on all manor of topics even pausing the videos and taking notes about concepts I’m unfamilar with.

While driving I used to listen to the radio and change stations. Now I ride in reflective silence while, of course, keeping eyes on the road. A growing number of songs, movies, videos and pop culture no longer resonates with me.

Few if any kids still come to my house trick-or-treating and I’ve lost interest in the hoopla of every holiday decoration. It’s not that I’m bitter or depressed. I’ve just re-assessed the time-energy-effort equation and re-calibrated priorities. I’ve become more comfortable jettisoning overboard commitments, obligations, beliefs, ways of thinking and lifestyles that no longer are relevant for me.

My appetite for what used to be important has waned. In its place is critical thinking about actions, words, efforts and relationships. I experience a growing hunger to focus on what is important to both me and others in the current state of affairs and beyond.

The old appetite is gone and time will tell where the new appetite takes me.

An unpublished work/reflection by Greg Dunn November 1, 2025

Time for a 10–13 Society

All for one & one for all. Watch each others backs

We’ve all watched cop shows. The radio announces a 10–13 in progress. An officer needs assistance! Sirens blare. Lunch break interrupted. Cops rush to assist fellow officers. Their personalities, attitudes, cultures and backgrounds may differ but responding to the call, they are of one mind, body, spirit.

So what would happen if we had a 10–13 Society? Why isn’t there a 10–13 call when…. Someone’s starving. Someone’s freezing. Someone’s homeless. Someone’s about to do something terrible.

We used to have that society.

The church bells in the Middle Ages rang announcing trouble on the horizon. The villagers braced for an advancing army, or maybe they took flight

The Minutemen of colonial days heard “the British are coming!” and they grabbed their muskets.

The volunteer firemen heard the alarm and rushed to the fire.

The snow kept falling or the river kept rising and everybody started shoveling or sandbagging to meet the crisis

The church burned to the ground and everyone pitched in to re-build it.

So, what happened? Why the change?

Society got professional, distracted, uncaring. Let the cops do it. Let the teachers do it. Call the social worker. Don’t get involved. Stay out of the way. Avoid the risk. That’s somebody elses problem. I got my own problems. We are no longer our brothers’ keeper. I picked myself up by my bootstraps and so should you.

Imagine a 10–13 Society where an attack on one is an attack on all. Nip it in the bud: bullying, domestic violence, sexual violence, bigotry and all manner of injustices.

Imagine a 10–13 Society where we have differences but when a fundamental norm is broken, a switch flips and a hive mind takes over. The hungry are fed, the homeless are housed, the sick are treated and as they say in the military “nobody is left behind”.

Imagine a 10–13 Society where the phrase “Everyone Knows Your Name” as sung in the “Cheers” tv show was really true.

Imagine a 10–13 Society where nobody looked away, nobody shrugged their shoulders and everybody in unison said “Hell No” and “You Can’t Arrest Us All”. This is a society where a “line-in-the-sand” was drawn over which no person in good conscience can cross.

Imagine a 10–13 Society where everyone knew there was a safety net of people who were available to help concerning sickness, rides, baby sitters or just having someone to talk to. What if everyone could ease their troubled minds knowing there would always be “3 hots and a cot” and medical assistance if their finances and health failed. Deep down isn’t that what we all fundamentally crave? What more do we really need?

What would happen if “United Ways” really became “United Ways”?

What would happen if churches and congregations didn’t just meet at designated times but flung open their doors and travelled about the community righting wrongs, feeding the hungry, visiting the lonely, sheltering the homeless as espoused in their mission statements.

What would happen if all chambers of commerce, non-profits and corporations that spout lofty intentions and civic mindedness exited their board rooms and offices by getting down & dirty, working in the trenches facing head-on person-to-person with the societal issue that they portend to address. In sum, fewer “white papers”, reports, studies, grant applications and more good old-fashioned roll-up-your sleeves doing.

Last, but not least, what if all political parties and politicians did less politicking and more doing. Less pontificating, blaming, posturing, strategizing and more doing. Walk the walk, don’t just talk the talk.

Imagine all the re-channeling of time, energy and resources that could be accomplished in a 10–13 Society. If done promptly and vigorously, it could be less costly than the start-stop, compartmentalized, fragmented, frenetic, knee jerk responses to societal ills.

The hour is late. It’s now 10–13 PM and the midnight deadline is fast approaching. Transition now to a 10–13 Society so we still have a society when the clock strikes midnight.

Questions & Talking Points for Contractors, Small Businesses & those who complain about big government, taxation and regulations

Skepticism of big government, taxation and regulation is understandable but let’s drill down further on this conversation

This blog is targeted to the following persons:

Drivers of oversized pick-up trucks (which generally are in pristine condition and extremely expensive). This is an odd contradiction since the traditional American pick-up truck is a battered workhorse and todays showhorse pick-up trucks are driven by folks who complain about high prices.

Drivers of contractor vans rushing to and from jobs complaining that they can not find skilled, hard working employees.

Small business owners who complain about government regulations, red tape, taxation and government overreach in general (but frequently do not offer specific examples).

All of the above-described persons to one degree or another complain that they cannot afford to offer employees benefits, particularly health insurance benefits. Most of them complain that they could expand and prosper if government got out of the way of their business and got out of their personal lives.

All of the aforementioned persons complain that the high cost of housing limits the pool of workers in their area and forces them to commute long distances to jobs.

All of the aforementioned persons express valid concerns on case-by-case situations. I understand their sense of angst, anger, and frustration.

To all of the aforementioned persons and anybody conversing with them, I offer the following solutions in the form of conversational interactions that might move beyond the usual polarizing stalemates.

Situation/Complaint:

Can’t get good help. Can’t find skilled workers. Can’t get dependable, hardworking workers. Don’t have time and money to recruit and train the workers that I need.

Response/Solution:

Consider partnerships/internships/mentorships which would be government funded at no cost to you. I know you’re not a big fan of government, but consider a turnkey operation whereby you commit to hire the person that the government delivers to match your employment specifications. It the person is not a good fit, you’re not obligated to keep them on staff. Win-Win-Win (you-the employee-the government)

Situation/Complaint

Can’t provide employment benefits, specifically health insurance. This further limits the pool of job candidates. Both the employers and the workers can’t afford the private health insurance plans. Uninsured workers who get sick don’t show up for work. Both employer and employee loose money. Worse yet, the sick workers show up because they can’t afford to stay home. They are unproductive, make mistakes and worst-case scenario they infect the healthy workers.

Response/Solution

If there was universal health care insurance and if having health insurance was not connected to employment status, this would remove the burden of providing health insurance as part of hiring incentives designed to recruit qualified workers. The result would be more money in employers pockets since there would be no need to provide employees with health insurance. A further advantage would be increased morale and loyalty among employees who will not be constantly worried about health insurance. Employees and potential employees will not have to pick and choose among employers concerning employer benefits packages. They wouldn’t have to worry about fluctuating rates or whether benefits will be discontinued. Both employer and employee can focus on the work rather than the benefits package. Without worrying about offering health insurance, employers can concentrate on offering financial incentives to productive workers. Isn’t that the optimum business relationship? Win-Win for employer/employee.

Situation/Complaint

Too much regulation, red tape, bureaucracy, government oversight and overreach.

Response/Solution

What if the role of government and regulators was limited to matters concerning health, safety, criminal/civil violations and fraud? Focus on specific and blatant violations and situations rather than nusiance and frivolous matters. What if you could demonstrate that a rule, regulation, policy stretched beyond the afore mentioned circumstances? What if it could be quickly determined that a rule, regulation or policy was truly an unnecessary deterrence to your business? Win-Win since basic protections for workers/customers are maintained but onerous requirements on the business owner are removed. This will require that employers be specific about the regulation and how it is unnecessary and harmful rather than making a blanket statement that regulation is “bad”.

Situation/Complaint

Housing costs are so high that it limits the pool of qualified workers. Those that commute to work are so exhausted by the commute that they are less productive.

Response/Solution

Support creative alternative affordable housing solutions. This could include zoning that allows ADU’s (auxiliary dwelling units), higher density housing, land trusts that keep the land underneath the housing from becoming speculative, high-cost housing. Support limited equity affordable cooperative housing where working class workers own a share in the housing without being priced out by skyrocketing rental costs and skyrocketing home ownership costs.

Contractors, small business owners and folks who oppose big-government, and consider government as over-reaching would usually be opposed to the aforementioned affordable housing alternatives. However, if employers realize that when the housing market loosens up, so does the labor market. Employers might be amenable to proposals for cooperative housing since the ownership-share characteristics jives with the philosophy of having “skin-in-the game” and not becoming a “government give away”. Contractors, small businesses and opponents of big government are not being asked to fund these affordable, creative, ownership-oriented housing solutions. Instead they are being asked to not oppose them and ideally step up to support them for the good of society in general and for their own self-interest.

Situation/Complaint

These folks generally complain about government intrusion in their lives and overreach in society and culture. This is often the mantra of independent voters and libertarians. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with this perspective and it’s their prerogative to feel that way.

Response/Solution

My response is YES….because I don’t want the government (aka big brother) poking into….

My medicine cabinet

My library

My wallet

My bedroom

My personal values and beliefs

My sense is that this heartfelt response will get others on the same page with the understanding that government needs to butt out of my business as long as I’m not engaging in criminal activity or civil rights violations.

However….

There will always be persons who are hell bent on opposing innovation, change, and fail to visualize big picture outside-the-box solutions. I present this blog as a means of starting with listening to their concerns and moving toward alternatives and scenarios that are palatable to them with an end goal of win-win situations.

Now….

Isn’t that better than engaging in dialogue where we toss labels at each other a sample of which include: liberal, conservative, socialist, Marxist, communist, redneck, spender, elitist, etc. ?

One last thought and word of caution:

I endorse this “active listening” technique of conversational engagement whereby I determine what “irks” someone and I craft a conversation aimed at addressing their legitimate need in a constructive fashion. Frankly, I have not engaged in such conversations but I have not given up the notion that someone could be brought around to a win-win solution that averts the usual name calling and assigning of labels.

That said, I will break off conversation when confronted with the following sample of attitudes and beliefs:

Persons who (for example):

Refuse to hire black persons, gay persons or whatever other category of person that happens to be their target of scorn.

Refuse to pay taxes and pay their fair share toward the good of the greater society.

Refuse to acknowledge the importance of providing any sort of health insurance whether that be public or private. These are persons obsessed with the “survival of the fittest’ mentality and “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” mentality. These are persons for whom it becomes apparent that they would be ok for others to freeze or starve because they live in an “every man/woman for themselves mentality”.

Refuse to accept the importance of regulations that are required for minimum levels of health, safety and protection from criminal abuse.

If you seek constructive, thoughtful, win-win, solutions-based policies, I would be delighted to engage in further conversations. If you are hell bent on limiting your thoughts and comments to rants, doomsday scrolling and gas lighting jargon, stay out of my lane since life is too short to fritter it away. As always, more of my blogs can to found on www.dunnwriteswell.com and my novel Mall Child includes some of this unconventional thinking about society and lifestyle.