Ross E. Eichberg

When I was young, I was always restless and always looking toward the next milestone to be achieved: getting good grades; getting into a good college; getting into a good law school; getting a good wife; getting into a good law firm; getting a good house, getting a good client base, etc., all in the quest for getting a good life. My emphasis was always on “getting”. Over coffee one morning, my wife somewhat exasperatedly asked, “Why can’t you just be?”

I’ve spent the last thirty or so years pondering that question, and it has lead me to appreciate a contra path that emphasizes the truly important stuff, none of which has anything to do with “getting”. Like, showing up for my friends and family; solving problems for clients; riding a bike 100 miles in a day; running a mile in a decent time (that won’t happen again); sailing from the Chesapeake to New England and back a few times; helping old people with their income tax returns; working with people from many cultures and realizing that ethnic stereotypes are stupid; showing up unexpectedly at my parents’ house; taking a vacation with my kids and their friends; discovering religious community; and throwing a tennis ball into the Bay for my retriever to do what retrievers must.

My late-blooming mellowness drew me to writing my first book “Why Can’t We Get Along? The Pieces Always Fit.” I have seen the destructive consequences of too many sibling rivalries; too many failing marriages; and too many small-minded resentments to remain silent. The vignettes described in the book are told against a backdrop of appreciation for the Greatest Generation. Without them and their sacrifice and success, our world would be unrecognizably bleak…if it existed at all.