RANDOM THOUGHTS

Posted byEd KowalskiPosted inUncategorized

Random Sunday morning thoughts.

  • Recognize that the people who you went to High School with should always remain your friends precisely because we share the silly, not the serious. Because we tell the same funny stories. Because we knew each other when we were at our happiest and most innocent.
    • It’s a safe bet that no one really wants to listen to you about what it really was like before the internet.
    • Dogs are fine, though. A dog loves a person the way people love each other only while in the grip of new love: with intense, unwavering focus, attentive to every move the beloved makes, unaware of imperfections, desiring little more than to be close, to be entwined, to touch and touch and touch. I thank and think often of the dogs that I have been lucky to have, Trixie, Dutchess, Geek, Casey, Rosie and, yes, another Casey…..
    • Nothing tastes as good as fresh pizza hot out of a wood-fired oven, garnished with kosher salt and freshly chopped basil leaves.
    • It is unlikely you will ever speak a foreign language. Father Aracich…….you were right.
    • It costs nothing to forgive people who have wronged you. Forever bearing the burden of anger, on the other hand, will eat you alive. (Still working on this one!)
    • Not to lose your dignity, even when confronting illness. Not to bend your principles. Not to be cruel. Not to be unforgiving. Not to act like small things don’t matter — birthday calls, congratulations calls, condolence calls. Anniversary calls.
    • If you have writer’s block, lower your standards, and then revise.
    • To believe that the pursuit of truth and right ideas through honest debate and rigorous argument is a noble undertaking.
    • Nobody expects you to know everything. Nobody expects all your views to be right. But if you’re going to write about a subject, take the time to really understand it. Don’t just dissect it so you can dismiss it. Don’t just listen to everything the people on TV say about it. Embrace it. Hold it. Understand it. Let it change you. New ideas are scary. Explore them anyway.
    • Stand up to hypocrisy. If you don’t, the hypocrites will teach. Stand up to ignorance, because if you don’t, the ignorant will run free to spread ignorance like a disease. Stand up for truth. If you don’t, then there is no truth to your existence. If you don’t stand up for all that is right, then understand that you are part of the reason why there is so much wrong in the world.
    • It’s important in life to conclude things properly. Only then can you let go. Otherwise you are left with words you should have said but never did, and your heart is heavy with remorse
    • Nothing exists without a purpose. Every experience you have in this lifetime was written for you to grow into the light you were meant to be.
    • You never stop missing your parents, no matter how old you get, no matter how long they have been gone. Or, for that matter, your children, even when you’re lucky enough to speak to them every day. Love you, Jenny Kowalski
    • Admit when you are wrong. The older you get, the more frequently you’ll have the opportunity.
    • Have a sense of humor about everything, including the things that are the saddest.

Published by Ed Kowalski

Ed Kowalski is a Pleasant Valley resident, media voice, and policy-focused professional whose work sits at the intersection of law, public policy, and community life. Ed has spent his career working in senior leadership roles across human resources, compliance, and operations, helping organizations navigate complex legal and regulatory environments. His work has focused on accountability, risk management, workforce issues, and translating policy and law into practical outcomes that affect people’s jobs, livelihoods, and communities. Ed is also a familiar voice in the Hudson Valley media landscape. He most recently served as the morning host of Hudson Valley This Morning on WKIP and is currently a frequent contributor to Hudson Valley Focus with Tom Sipos on Pamal Broadcasting. In addition, Ed is the creator of The Valley Viewpoint, a commentary and narrative platform focused on law, justice, government accountability, and the real-world impact of public policy. Across broadcast and written media, Ed’s work emphasizes transparency, access to justice, institutional integrity, and public trust. Ed is a graduate of Xavier High School, Fordham University, and Georgetown University, holding a Certificate in Business Leadership from Georgetown. His Jesuit education shaped his belief that ideas carry obligations—and that leadership requires both discipline and moral clarity. He lives in Pleasant Valley.