New? Start Here
Come on in - I saved you a good chair.
BlackPapers is a calm corner of the internet. A place for short laughs, long thoughts, and the gentle realization that not everything needs a reaction.
Read slowly. Smile when you can. Come back when the noise gets loud.
What you’ll get each week (3 emails):
Downbeat — Tuesdays
Friday Takeaway — Fridays
Ask a Retired Guy — Sundays
That’s it. No daily noise. No preaching.
Subscribe free and it shows up like a good cup of coffee: on schedule, no drama.
“A laugh-out-loud post in this raggedy, edge-of-your-seat world is a true gift.”
—Reader
Start with a reader favorite:
My Wife Rewired Instead of Retired
Retirement doesn’t always arrive the way the brochure promised.Movies Before Reservations
A retired look at modern life (and how everything needs a login now).When the Trout Turn the Tables
Colorado perspective, plus the universe reminding you who’s in charge.
New here? Read one favorite first. If it feels like an exhale, subscribe free.
Want the whole library instead? Visit the BlackPapers Archive
Why “BlackPapers”?
It’s a nod to my last name and a loose wink at “white papers”, except I’m not here to explain the economy. I’m here to make modern life feel a little more human… and a little funnier.
A quick bit of background
In my earlier life I was a financial advisor and a musician. I also hosted Exit Coach Radio and talked with over a thousand business owners. What stuck with me wasn’t the success stories. It was the human ones. Those conversations still shape how I notice things—and how I tell stories.
Now I chase stories, golf balls, and trout into a net (all gently released).
One last thing
BlackPapers is free and always will be.
If you ever feel like turning a few laughs into a little help for kids, there’s a paid option, and 100% of net proceeds (after Substack/Stripe fees) go to No Kid Hungry.
I post a simple quarterly summary with receipts. No paywalls. No guilt. No “members-only” scolding.
Why BlackPapers Exists
The world is loud, and humor and perspective are in short supply.
If something here makes you pause, smile, or feel a little steadier, then it’s doing its job. And if you know someone who could use that kind of moment, feel free to pass it along.
Thanks for stopping by. Come join me on the porch for a story and a smile anytime. I’ll save you a good chair (not the wonky one).
— BB
P.S. New here? Subscribe free and you’ll get the new posts each week. No spam. No pitches. Just a smile.




I can tell I’ll enjoy your writing already. Not a laughing trout here- you caught this one. Pleased to meet you Bill!
Fabulous intro 🙃