Personal Highlights of the '00s

The '00s are at an end. On a personal level, I can say the '00s were a good decade. I spent most of my fifties there (I aged from 51 to 61). I had some wonderful experiences, met some interesting people, and created a few things along the way.

Here are some of my personal highlights from the '00s:

• I Imagined that a Rhombic Triacontahedron could be broken into 30 pyramids. This idea became the Ball of Whacks. I patented it, went to China to manufacture it, and created a company (with Stuart Kaplan, Creative Whack) to market and distribute it. Subsequent products are the X-Ball and Y-Ball, and more on the way.

   

• I Turned my life-long interest in the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus into a book, (Expect the Unexpected, 2001, Simon & Schuster) and a card deck (Innovative Whack Pack, US Games 2004).

• The favorite places that I've visited just before sunrise were: Angkor Wat (Cambodia), Karnak Temple (Egypt), Machu Picchu (Peru) Erg Chebbi Sand Dunes (Sahara Desert, Morocco), Temple of Concord (Agrigento, Sicily), Cappadocia faeries (Turkey), and Varanasi (on the Ganges River, shown below).

• Hachette (Grand Central Publishers) came out with the 25th Anniversary edition of A Whack on the Side of the Head. (Life sales: approximately two million in 18 languages. Not bad for what was originally a self-published book.) 2008

• Attended the Taormina (Sicily) and the Berlin Film Festivals.

• During the decade, I swam over 10,150,000 yards or 5,767 miles (9,300 kilometers), or just under a "quarter of the way around the world." (Swimming's a great way to get away from things.)

• Competed in the 2006 FINA World Masters Swimming Championships. Took a 6th, 8th, and 17th place in events in the 55-59 age group. Favorite swim: 800 free.

• Continued to do my Creative Think seminars for business, but at a much saner pace than the 80s and 90s. Favorite sessions were in South America: Colombia (shown below), Venezuela, and Argentina.

• Turned the Creative Whack Pack card deck into an iPhone app (with Phil Dhingra). In April, 2009, the Creative Whack Pack App spent two weeks at the top of the AppStore charts as the #1 seller in the Business category.

• Put a Ball of Whacks on the Moscow grave of former Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev, who 48 years earlier told the West: "We will bury you." I had the last laugh.

• Went with my then-21 year son Alex to a place I had no desire to go when I was 21: Vietnam (2006).

• Celebrated my 60th birthday on the Mekong River in Laos, 2008 (shown below in a Hmong hut).

 

• Other travels included: Burma, Thailand, Russia, India, Canada, Britain, Italy, Japan, France, and Germany.

• Saw my kids graduate from college (Athena: Stanford '03, Alex: USC '07) and move on in life.

       

• Another enriching ten years with wife and life-partner, Wendy (2000-2009). [Shown at Perito Moreno glacier in Patagonia]

 

This was a fun exercise! You might try it yourself.

I wish you a good start in the "Teens"!

Comments

[Luc Debaisieux]

Roger,
Not only time, but distance, miles around the globe and through the waters of adventure (totally impressed by the distance you swam, BTW!), most of all the people you met and those special ones who made these 00's so memorable. Thanks for sharing.
Wishing you a fantastic new first year of the "Whack Teens".

[Roger von Oech]

Thanks for the kind words, Luc.

[Stephen Denny]

Roger, does this mean we can expect at least one new post every decade from you?

Happy New Year (may I be the first, and possibly earliest, to say it) - many thanks for your inspiration and the kindly Whack on the Side of MY Head that has set my last two years in motion. I look forward to writing a retrospective post in 2019 saying my decade began with my first book, thanks to a nudge over coffee. I appreciate it.

[Robert "Alan" Black - WanderingAlan]

best wishes for a very productive 7th decade of life Roger.

[Iva]

Congratulation to some very amazing highlights indeed! May this next decade bring you another beautiful set of remarkable memories full of happiness.

[Mike Crowl]

25 years since Whack on the Head first came out...I think I've had my copy almost that long, and it was one of the first books that really got me thinking about being more creative. Glad to hear it's still going strong.

[Ambulance Charlotte]

nice picture thanks Not only time, but distance, miles around the globe and through the waters of adventure thank you for shearing your post

[Mark L. Fox]

Roger,

Wow! You sure can make a guy feel like he hasn't done much :)

Thanks again for all the help and inspiration you have given me. I appreciate it more than you could ever know.

Take care

Mark L. Fox

[diet lose weight fast]

wow great Not only time, but distance, miles around the globe and through the waters of adventure thank you

[become a police officer]

Wow! You sure can make a guy feel like he hasn't done much.I look forward to writing a retrospective post in 2019 saying my decade began with my first book, thanks to a nudge over coffee

[Advanced Acai]

Wonderful post... Very informational and educational as usual! Love the images!

[AcaiOptimum]

a good pics and best wishes

[animation clips]

Great post....and very nice images....the post was very interesting,enjoyed reading it..good job done.

[online data services]

Good post and pics as well..!I enjoyed reading the blog and i wish "Creative Whack" would last for many more years..

[online data services]

Good post & pics as well.!I enjoyed reading the post and i wish "Creative Whack" may last for many more years.

Thank you.