Sometimes it’s better not to drop, cover, and hold — I tell my kids they wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for an earthquake. It was May 1990, mere weeks before my high school graduation. I was bound for UC Berkeley — school ID and dorm assignment already in hand — when I unexpectedly received a letter from Stanford. The 6.9-magnitude…

Today I’m working to fill the void it left — For years I told no one my middle name. I hid it instead, making sure the period after my initial, T., nailed the remaining letters shut. When pressed, I claimed the T stood for Thomas. It’s actually Tak-Wah (pronounced “duck wah”). My immigrant parents chose the name — which means…

With each day, my field of vision is narrowing. Having lived with glaucoma for years now, I view my gradual loss of eyesight as a fact of life, like the graying of my hair. I’ve already lost half of my vision in my left eye, but I remain hopeful as…

I’m still a student in many ways — Some fathers tell dad jokes; I prefer to give dad advice (dadvice for short). As a former CFO and retiree at 50, I feel I have sound guidance to offer my sons in the area of money matters. Sadly, my pearls of wisdom tend to elicit the same reactions as…

We underdogs have to stick together — The path around Lake Merritt — which I run or walk almost daily — is the shape of a heart, albeit a slightly deformed one. It’s the perfect symbol of Oakland: a little beat up and rough around the edges, but full of things to love. With calm waters and…

My Efforts to Make New York City a Little Smaller — and Closer — Outside my hotel, I wait for my Garmin to locate a signal through the dense canopy of skyscrapers. Meanwhile, I need time to find my own bearings. I glance left and right, but nothing registers: I’m lost before I even start my run. This is nothing new. Despite having visited…

I didn’t want my run to end. Easing my pace, I veered off the paved path and pushed past waist-high weeds so I could run along the park’s perimeter fence. I shuffled my feet, knowing I soon would have to head to Heathrow and board my flight home. The depth…

“I’m off to explore new trails!” My recent LinkedIn post announcing my retirement may have been chirpy but it was also genuine and apt. …

Last month, after more than two decades in corporate finance, I closed the books for the final time. I hung up the spreadsheets. I retired. At age 50, I have many years left to live, and now, thanks to my stubborn frugality and a whole lot of luck, I can…