Maria showed up at Uncle Bob’s house late Saturday afternoon carrying a laptop under one arm and its power supply tangled around the other. She was in her early twenties, in college, smart, opinionated, and—as Uncle Bob liked to remind her—dangerously confident around technology she … Continue readingThe Laptop and the Loaf of Bread
By the time Dylan and Dorian returned Uncle Bob’s canoe, the sun was beginning to disappear behind the trees. The two young men carried the canoe upside down between them, with Dylan walking backward and Dorian struggling under the heavier end. “Slow down,” Dylan said. … Continue readingThe Canoe, and the Five-Percent Plan for Building Wealth
Dylan and his friend Dorian pulled into Uncle Bob’s driveway a little after nine on Saturday morning. The canoe was already resting on two wooden stands beside the garage. Uncle Bob had placed the paddles, life jackets, cushions, and a small waterproof box next to … Continue readingThe Price of the Canoe
“Uncle Bob, I don’t understand it,” I said. “I’m doing everything successful people tell me to do. I go to their conferences. I listen to their podcasts. I read their books. I even dress more professionally. But I don’t feel any closer to becoming successful.” … Continue readingNo Matter How Long the Log Stays in the Water, It Never Becomes a Crocodile
A few weeks after Grandma died, the family sold her house. Once the mortgage, taxes, legal expenses, and everything else were paid, I received my percentage of the money. It was more money than I had ever received at one time, but not enough to … Continue readingGrandma’s Final Gift
I stopped by my uncle’s house one Saturday morning because he had promised to lend me his pressure washer. As usual, the pressure washer was in the garage, but my uncle was in the kitchen drinking coffee and studying a stack of papers. “Sit down,” … Continue readingHow to Buy a Small Business with Little or No Cash
I stopped by my uncle’s house one afternoon to borrow his hammer drill. That was the entire plan. Walk in, borrow the drill, promise to bring it back, and leave before he found a reason to turn a five-minute visit into a two-hour lecture … Continue readingLet them Eat Cake, not Slice it
It was a typical Fourth of July at Uncle Bob’s house. The grill was smoking, children were running through the yard with sparklers, and several generations of the family had gathered under the covered patio to eat too much food and argue about things nobody … Continue readingThe Joy of Missing Out
A few weeks before my thirty fifth birthday, I found myself sitting in Uncle Bob’s garden. He was watering his tomatoes. I wasn’t saying much. He noticed. “Something on your mind?” I nodded. “I turn thirty five in a couple weeks.” “So?” “I thought I’d … Continue readingTurning Thirty Five and Marriage
I have been trying to figure out what I want to do next and looking online and most of the comments were negative. By the time I got to Uncle Bob’s house, I was irritated. He was sitting in the garden, coffee in one hand … Continue readingWas Your Generation Easier?
I just graduated college and been watching the news, and it got me depressed so ended at Uncle Bob House to see if he was up to something. “Uncle, can I ask you something?” “Of course.” “I’ve been thinking about starting a business, but honestly, … Continue readingRinse and Repeat & End of the World
Uncle Bob (rocking slowly on the porch, sipping lemonade): Nate, you look like a man who just discovered women are more complicated than math. Nate (grinning, holding his iPad): Uncle Bob, I just finished mapping out the entire modern dating crisis using game theory. It’s … Continue reading🎩 Love, Control, and the Prisoner’s Dilemma
If you’ve never spent a summer at your Uncle Bob’s lakeside cabin, learning how to live, think, and fend for yourself, then you’ve missed out on the best education this side of a college degree. Uncle Bob was the kind of man who knew how … Continue readingSummers with Uncle Bob: Lessons, Laughter, and Life by the Lake