AI-generated image of timepieces walking

As you start reading this post, do play this classic song in the background, Time in a Bottle by Jim Croce.

Most people reading this have certainly heard the expression “time flies,” let alone saying it many times themselves, this week alone. Of course we all know that time truly doesn’t “fly;” the concepts of the science behind key scenes from the Back to the Future movies and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban certainly haven’t been available to the masses to say the least. Yet we use this phrase anyway.

The idea of time passing by quicker than it should be comes up quite a lot recently in my household, as my oldest child has recently left the proverbial nest for college. We look back on the pictures of taking her home from the hospital where she was born, then it seems like next thing we know we are pulling away from the dorm we just dropped off said kid - now an adult, thinking and saying those 2 words over and over on the ride home.

It’s not that time truly flies, of course, rather it’s that we are thinking of other things through the days of our lives, then when we return our thoughts to something, and it's as though certain events happened without our knowledge. When I was driving my kid to 5:45 am swim practice 30 minutes each way, memories of elementary school musical performances certainly were not top of mind, rather that the Starbucks by the pool was properly staffed to continue my morning caffeination routine. I could go on, but you get the idea.

Some Days to Stop and Remember

Today, September 11, 2026, marks 25 years since the terrorist attacks on the US. I have written about how I reacted that day and details I remember before, and honestly I don’t have much more unique I can add to it. But I am thinking about it this week – something I don’t think about that often any more. Well, there is the exception when I drive from my home south to the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area and I always see a sign for a Wisconsin 9/11 Memorial off the next exit. As I am always taking this route because I have to, I never have extra time to exit and visit it. Sure, it’s on my list of things to do, but I will have to take a special trip there. Nonetheless I am thinking a lot about what happened that days and what followed, especially about the people I know who were directly impacted by it.

Also a quarter-century ago was when my Mom died, taken far too early by an autoimmune disease. There are many times I think of her, from when I am writing down one child's name whose middle name is hers, to pictures around the house to sometimes wondering what she would think of just about any struggle I am going through. Again it's not all the time, but enough that she lives on in my mind and heart.

Roll With The Changes

Perhaps it's ok that things are this way. Think about it - we can't think about everything all the time, and if we could we'd likely go crazy. Until said time travel hardware is readily available, it's not like we can physically - as well as mentally - achieve it. We can savor the moment, and appreciate the past and look forward to the future, even though it seems like it's here before we think it should be.

Before I close, I have to admit that when thinking of the opening song, the first one that came to mind was If I Could Turn Back Time by Cher however I didn't think it quite fit the tone of the post. As I may second-guess my decision eventually, I am sharing the link to it too.

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This is from The Hot Iron, a journal on business and technology by Mike Maddaloni.

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One of the 2026 inductees into the Pro Football Hall of Fame was Adam Vinatieri. His well-deserved entry followed a 24-year career in the National Football League kicking with the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts, including 4 Super Bowl championships and numerous clutch game-winning kicks through the uprights.

His rise to fame was built on hard work and a steady foot and of those key games were many that helped the Patriots win their first Super Bowl. As a fan of the Patriots and someone who saw many of those games in person, I have many memories of who some call the GOAT – or greatest of all time – of kickers. Reflecting on his playing career, which one, though, is my favorite?

Interestingly my favorite memory of number 4 is not from any game; it’s from meeting him in a supermarket parking lot.

It was a fall day in the late 1990’s (my recollection of the actual date is a little fuzzy almost 30 years later, but the details of the event are surprisingly vivid!) and I was driving home from my consulting assignment in downtown Boston listening to WBCN, the rock station that was the radio home for all Patriots games. The DJ came on to say that there was an event at the recently-opened Stop & Shop supermarket in the Allston neighborhood of Boston, just as I was passing by it on the Mass Pike. At the event there were to be free hot dogs, an appearance by New England Patriots cheerleaders as well as the team’s kicker Adam Vinatieri. Hearing about the latter, I made the complicated trek from where I was heading on I-90 to Allston. Forget the free eats and cheerleaders, I wanted to meet Adam.

When I got to the store, there was a giant mob at the side parking lot. Ugh, I clearly was not alone in wanting to meet the placekicker. Or so I thought. As I approached the large crowd, however, I saw they were in front of the tent queuing for the hot dogs. Phew! I looked beyond this tent and saw another large crowd. As I approached it, another tent was for the cheerleaders, and they were signing mini posters featuring their entire squad. I thought it would be nice to get one for my friend Clint’s young daughter; he and I have been tailgating for Pats games for years and we started a fan Web site GoPats.com a few years earlier. The cheerleaders gladly signed a poster for her, but when I asked for one for myself, I was sternly told only one per person. Whatever.

As I left that tent I saw another, much smaller, next to it with a couple of people under it, one sitting at a table, with only a few people around. I was surprised, as that was where Vinatieri was. Why nobody else was flocking to see him was beyond me, but it gave me an easy opportunity to meet him. When I got there I shook his hand, exchanged pleasantries and made some small talk about the Pats season was going. I recall they were coming off of a loss and I didn’t want to piss him off. Of course, for anyone who knows me and my relationship with sports, small talk is about all I am good at – I have never been someone who remembered every play of the game or had any idea what they should do next, but I digress. He was very pleasant and we had a nice short chat. I then opened my wallet and asked him to sign a GoPats.com business card that Clint and I had printed up to get some traffic to our little fan Web site; remember it was the 90’s, promoting the Web in print was something you would do!

Pictured above is that card, which I have held onto all these years, along with a few other autographed and non-autographed business cards from notable people. For years, starting as a kid, I actually collected business cards, similarly how people collect baseball or other trading cards. Those are long gone now but I still have a few including this one.

So why would a fan of a team pick a moment like this as their favorite for an athlete, and not like the multiple Super Bowl wins or that kick he made in the infamous Snow Bowl game at old Foxboro Stadium that I was at? Simple - it’s personal. Sports, or anything for that matter, can mean different things to different people. It’s not that the other events aren’t important, rather this has unique meaning to me. Where the date may have blurred, the experience did not. Congrats to you Adam, a class act on and off the field, and I can vouch for both.

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This is from The Hot Iron, a journal on business and technology by Mike Maddaloni.

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AI generated cartoon of the This is Fine dog with a can of Harpoon IPA and modified quote bubble adding, ‘as far as you know’

Before you read on, start this classic song from Frida to play in the background.

“I hope this finds you are well.”

This statement is often the first line of emails or other greetings. Most would think that it is a good thing, expressing hope that the recipient is well. However, I have heard people mocking it, saying it’s cliché or insincere, even a throwaway statement. Yet I see it differently; heck, I have heard this statement attributed to a quote from the Bible, not to mention it being a nice way to connect with others. Personally, I have been using the following statement, which builds on this opening statement:

“I hope the finds everything is as greatest as possible with you!“

Why this? First off, it is how I truly feel. Second, it acknowledges there may be things in life that are outside of our control. Despite this, I hope things are at maximum greatness. Even using this phrase, I realize my wish may be far from reality. That’s why these days I go into most situations assuming that is the case, and that there’s something going on.

Perhaps it all started five years ago when we were told to shelter in place; for some, depending on where you lived, this was a longer period of time than for others. In some ways, as much as things are back to “normal,” some things – and people – are not. Then there’s the specifics: unemployment, debt, relationships, your health, others health, inflation, the economy, politics… the list goes on. Sometimes it’s obvious to see or know that people are impacted by any of these.

In most cases, however, it is not obvious to see. To begin with, we often don’t actually “see” each other, whether in person or virtually. Even with people in close proximity we may only text or message them. Add to that the fact many people don’t turn on their cameras in meetings, whether work, non-profit or just friends, and the read of someone’s expressions is lost. Sure, you have people who wear their hearts on their sleeves and thru text or voice will convey their true stories and feelings, but those cases are less than more often.

I now try to look for something that may be going on, and the emphasis is on the word “try;” where my desire is to be as courteous, aware and empathetic as possible, I often miss the mark. Those self-absorbed times are usually when I myself have stuff going on. Yes, all of this applies to me too.

Deconstructing What’s Going On

Realizing something is going is not a sign of weakness by any stretch, rather a requirement in our world today. It plays into how we can and should approach people or anything we do involving others. On the flipside, hopefully others consider this for ourselves and how they approach us. If not, perhaps a little opening up is in order, even if it’s just our webcam.

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This is from The Hot Iron, a journal on business and technology by Mike Maddaloni.

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An exciting part of my college radio experience was following the ascent of new bands. From listening to their hearts and souls formed in vinyl to their signing to small labels, to the few making it to major labels, it was an unforgettable time. Rounding this experience out was seeing them perform live. Where I did see plenty back then, I have since gone to – and continue to go to – concerts from these bands. In the fall of 2016, I added another to my list with seeing Mike Peters, the lead singer of The Alarm, as he performed solo at the famed Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago.

The Alarm hailed from Wales in the UK and by the time I got into college radio (oh, and into college too), they had already released their first album on indie label IRS (the coolest name and logo for a label, by the way) and in the fall of my freshman year they release their second album, Strength. I quickly became a fan, as their music and lyrics resonated to me. Still today, nary a midyear rainstorm goes by without me belting out, to the chagrin of those in close proximity, Rain in the Summertime. Not to forget other ballad hits of theirs like Sixty Eight Guns, Blaze of Glory, Spirit of 76 among many others.

When I heard Mike Peters was touring solo and was coming to Chicago, I jumped at the chance. That month of September 2016 was a busy one for me and music because I had just gone to the Riot Fest festival concert, also in Chicago; seeing Mike Peters as well as Morrissey, Dee Snider and Gwar in the same month was pushing overload!

Though the concert was now almost 10 years ago, I can remember much of it like it happened yesterday. I had gotten on the VIP list for the show, and it was cool to say that as I entered the theater, as it had been a long, long time since that happened. The theater at the Old Town School was an intimate venue, and though there were seats I stood the whole time to the lament of some fans around me; to no surprise it was an older, GenX crowd. The concert tour was celebrating 30 years since the release of Strength, and his set list matched a live performance that the band did on MTV for the release. That night was just Peters on guitar and he used a drum kit in front of him. He was literally a one-man band. #onemanband

Needless to say the show rocked. I knew all the songs (and most all of the lyrics) and I was singing along to them as did most of the audience. In between songs, Peters told stories about the early days of touring with The Alarm, when they toured with U2 and an interesting encounter that he had with the Sex Pistols... it was just an awesome night.

As he finished his last song, I didn’t realize the night would get better. When I got up to leave, Peters stayed on stage and people were coming up to him and talking to him and getting pictures, so I made my way down to the stage as well. I’s say about half the crowd stayed, many just to shake his hand and say whatever, so I worked my way through the crowd until it was turn. Trying not to be a total fanboy, I introduced myself to him as a fellow Mike and of course I had to tell my origin story from college radio. It was a casual chat and he was cool and appreciative, and it concluded with getting the picture I opened the post with.

Going into the concert I was aware Peters had been battling cancer for many years, and at this point he was in remission. The weekend earlier at Riot Fest I signed up to be a bone marrow donor at a booth run by his Love Hope Strength Foundation. Since then, I have heard on and off of his continued cancer battles, including the song Next and its video which takes place in a hospital. At the end of this past April, Mike Peters lost his battle with cancer. I was sad to hear that news, and then searched my archives for the pictures and one video I made that night in at the Old Town theater which you can watch here or is embedded below. Clearly I wasn’t trying to win a cinematic award for it. It is a little shaky, but it captured the energy of that evening in September 2016. Rock on forever, Mike Peters.

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This is from The Hot Iron, a journal on business and technology by Mike Maddaloni.

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It was like déjà vu all over again. I’m standing in a souvenir store on Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas, encircled by a myriad of merchandise plastered with Las Vegas, casino names and other Southwest themes. As I gaze at what is before me, my eyes go in and out of focus in a TV show time-travely way. I say to myself, “self, I have been in this store before, exposed to the same stuff, just in another city… heck country.” Then I catch myself saying out loud, “I just don’t want any of this crap!”

At the end of the day all of this is stuff I don’t need in my life. I’d rather just spend my hard-earned money on something more meaningful in experiences. Needless to say I left the store empty-handed but full of confidence in my decision. The rest of the family, well, they picked up cheap t-shirts off the $5 rack which was ok with me, knowing the bulk of our money will be much better spent.

Anatomy of Souvenir Hell

There’s a myriad of definitions out there for the word “souvenir” and I’ll offer this one from Wikipedia that reads, “from French, a remembrance or memory, memento, keepsake, or token of remembrance, is an object a person acquires for the memories the owner associates with it.” With that… why tokenize the memory and just live the experience?

Souvenirs are nothing new; I remember them back in the day when we would stop on family trips throughout New England as a child. As we lived in said New England, despite our pleas acquiring such souvenirs was rarely if ever an option. Maple sugar candy, however, was usually allowed after some persistence, and this sweet treat is a memory – dare I say experience – that remains with me to this day.

Along the way souvenirs became Big Souvenirs with the onslaught of mega souvenir retailers, box-store size locations where upon entry you are overwhelmed at eye-level with racks of apparel, shelves of items and the high walls are plastered with said apparel and beach towels and other larger items. With all this sensory overload who wouldn’t want to acquire that sweatshirt from Myrtle Beach or those Christmas tree ornaments from Universal Studios?

Being In The Moment

Instead of these acquisitions I have opted to pay a little extra for a more enhanced experience. On that journey through Sin City this included better seats for Cirque du Soleil “O” (I still want to know how that pool works!) and upgrading our tour of the Hoover Dam to a pimped-out pink jeep rather than a staid motorcoach. We had a wicked better time as a result, plus a lot of great pictures and memories.

Regarding those pictures – and video – we have literally gigs of them backed-up, just waiting to be viewed again. For this member of Generation X, taking pictures in my youth was limited to the 27 exposures on the roll of still film, and as we didn’t have a Super 8 camera video memories simply don’t exist. With all of the pictures we take today, often they are just accumulated on various hard drives and online storage, but at least things can be done with them, like collage prints, captioning videos, photobooks (something I want to do) and merely talking about them.

Despite my expressed disdain, I have wandered off to the far corners of these shops and have succumbed to the purchase or two of discounted items. The Disney t-shirt I bought in December of 2019 that had that year accompanying the mouse’s shadow discounted to $9.99 was a decent find. Another purchase that serves a more functional role is “used” decks of cards from casinos, which you can get for around $5 each. Clearly a deck of cards is not used much as the cards are relatively pristine with the exception of the notches cut on 2 opposite corners so they never get used again on a gambling table. As we are a card-playing family (some more so than others) they serve a functional role, from an efficient time-killer to replacing cards that are destined to be lost.

As I finish this post, I scan my surroundings at the Starbucks serving as my writing studio and quickly see souvenir drinkware, from mugs emblazoned with stereotypical Dairyland iconography to the giant W representing the state’s major university’s sports teams. All of this reminds me of a quote from the comedy genius of Mel Brooks, and to paraphrase it, “merchandising, where the real money is made!”. Where that may be the case, the lure of souvenirs will remain for me something to actively manage throughout my own and my family’s journeys.

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This is from The Hot Iron, a journal on business and technology by Mike Maddaloni.

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