You may read this a day or two late, but it really doesn’t matter as it’s about remembering, and you can stop and remember any day at any time. Today is an occasion you’ve got to bring to mind across the year, because it’s November 11th: Remembrance Day. I’ve always stopped where I was and bowed my head on this day to think about what it all meant.

Before 9/11, Remembrance Day stood for freedom and to me, it still does. On the 11th month, on the 11 day at the 11th hour the machines of war fell silent. In the silence of this anniversary, all the people who gave their lives so that we can enjoy the freedoms that we have today loom large in memory. They saved the freedom to say what we want as long as we harm no one, the freedom to move around and go where we want, the freedom to do what we want, when we want and how we want, as long as we harm no other soul. I’m an easygoing guy with a sense of humor, but this is a serious time; it’s sobering to think of what it would be like if we didn’t have those freedoms.

Over the last few years I’ve made a point to ask the younger generation what Remembrance Day means to them. Most often, they have to stop and think about it for a bit. It makes me realize that as time goes by, the sacrifices that were made for us are being forgotten. It makes me just a bit sad. The veterans are almost all gone. You see them limping or rolling along in wheelchairs, although some still stand tall, to the spots where they remember fallen comrades.

Follow them today, or if you read this later, follow them with your thoughts. Fire up Wikipedia. Research the great wars of the past, and read about soldiers marching and riding across modern wastelands, half a world away. In these times and places, critical days, minutes and even seconds burn lasting brands into history. It will only take you a bit of time to remember with them when the bell tolls today, at the 11th hour.

Halloween is history for another year. (Does anybody else remember when it was spelled Hallowe’en?) I always like to take time in the morning to stroll around and peak outside – having time to do that is one of the perks of having a home-based business. When I got up this morning and went downstairs I saw a heavy frost on the pumpkin we left on the front porch to “scare” trick or treaters. I went to the washroom to wash my face, looked in the mirror and noticed that the frost was showing a bit more in the old chin whiskers, too.

So, me being the king of curious, I sat down at my ‘puter and did the Google thing. What makes hair go gray?  Type that in for yourself and you’ll see the results: all 472,000 of them.  The first search page went up in a blink of the eye (and made me happy I bought a nice, speedy Mac), and I flipped through the listings fast. By the third organic listing I found what I was looking for. There was good news . . . and not so good news.

In a perfect world, hair turns gray over a period of time that’s solely determined by your genes. Every hair has specialized pigmentation cells. They eventually stop renewing themselves and your hair loses color. It’s only natural.

In the not so perfect world I inhabit on a day to day basis, there are many more causes, including stress, poor eating habits, bad health, smoking and excessive drinking – and that’s just for starters. These factors speed the process up considerably. Some people have to drive mega-miles through killer traffic lineups just to get to the office. They experience major pressure at work and after they punch out, have endure the long drive home again. Those three things are enough to drive a person smoke, drink, or both.

I’m sure glad I left all that behind. It’s slowed down the graying process. Now that I look outside again I can see that it’s warmed up some and the frost is gone, so no snow for today. It’s time for a “rip on me motor sickle.”

That’s why I love making money from home. It makes life seem a little less gray than it could be. What would a home-based business do for you?