10 Mantras For a Meaningful Year

Published by Benn Bell

I recently returned to my roots after nearly 30 years of being away from home. I left Louisville, Kentucky in 1982 for the wide open spaces of Oklahoma and Texas. Next, I traveled to the Northeast where I lived in Philadelphia, the cradle of democracy, and the town that loves you back. I also lived in various small towns in New Jersey. Needless to say, there was plenty of culture shock to go around and once I came back to Louisville, I quickly discovered that be it ever so humble you really can’t ever go back home again. But, here I am. What was I doing all that time? Well, I pursued a career in manufacturing in the glass industry, first as a safety and health manager then as a human resources manager. I picked up an education along the way, earning degrees in Human Resources Management. As a human resources manager I gained an interest in alternative dispute resolution through the process of mediation. I started my own company and began mediating cases in the New Jersey Court System. In early 2012, I decided I wanted to move back to Kentucky to be with my family. I have two children who live in Louisville and five grandchildren. My 87 year old father is still alive, and I wanted to be here for his last years and to watch my grandchildren grow up. I have not regretted my decision. My father was an officer in the military when I was growing up, so I am no stranger to traveling and moving about. This is a pattern I continued to follow in my own adult life and I find traveling to be fundamental to my understanding of life and other cultures. I have been lucky enough to have traveled to Africa, Canada, Mexico, and all over the United States. I have always had an interest in photography and have taken pictures all my life. Like so many I started out with 35 mm film and made the transition to digital a few years ago. I got my first Nikon when I was 18 years old. I consider myself to be an observer of life and I am particularly fond of street photography. I have been an avid reader all my life and my favorite people are writes and authors. I do a fair amount of writing as well and have made a commitment to do more. I like to write about film, books, business topics, and current events. View more posts