*** Read the Opening Pages of A Reason to Run ***

Mike Magluilo

Hi, I’m Mike. Thanks for visiting my site.

I'm a writer and recovering finance professional, father of three and husband of one. I enjoy clean living and dirty jokes and love old dogs and small gestures because simple, sincere and content offers the best lighting to experience the world.

I write about the points in life that force us to pay attention to how we are living, because the power of being able to choose what we do in the next moment fascinates me. I write about tragedy, recovery and hope. I grew up in the Chicago area and spent several years of my adult life in the Midwest, Colorado and London. My family and I currently live in Vermont.

Wondering why my website is called Mad Gorilla Writes? Years ago my son told his pre-school teachers to pronounce his last name "mad gorilla." Since then it's become one of our family's many inside jokes. It also inspired the name of one of the characters in my upcoming book, although given Sam Bags's last name is Bagliarello, the character is called Bad Gorilla. 

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Recent Posts

#14: Trust Yourself ("No Bare Feet and Other Lessons From the Caddie Yard")

Feb 27, 2024 by Mike Magluilo

Growing up in 1980s Chicago I had access to a number of summer enrichment activities. My parents called them part-time jobs.

After three holes of caddie school, I signed up for a job that let me work outdoors, paid in cash and provided a free hot dog lunch. Little did I know at the time caddying would also pay my college tuition and teach me invaluable life lessons over the following ten summers. 

The main character in my novel A Reason to Run works as a caddie. The book’s not about caddying, but many of the values I learned looping appear in the themes of my book.

"No Bare Feet and Other Lessons From the Caddie Yard" is a series of monthly musings on the personal and professional lessons I learned as a young caddie.

Lessons in this series: 

Lesson #14: Trust Yourself

Lesson #13: Patience

Lesson #12: You Had to Be There

Lesson #11: Today Thinking

Lesson #10: It's Okay to Sweat the Small Stuff

Lesson #9: Giving Back

Lesson #8: Don't Waste the Garbage Time

Lesson #7: It's About How You Spend Your Time on the Course

Lesson #6: Make Yourself Useful

Lesson #5: Repair Your Divots

Lesson #4: It's Not About Perfection

Lesson #3: Don't Be Petty

Lesson #2: Caffeine, the Serenity Prayer and Thoughts on Organization

Lesson #1: Show Up, Pay Attention and Follow Through

#13: Patience ("No Bare Feet and Other Lessons From the Caddie Yard")

Jan 29, 2024 by Mike Magluilo

Growing up in 1980s Chicago I had access to a number of summer enrichment activities. My parents called them part-time jobs.

After three holes of caddie school, I signed up for a job that let me work outdoors, paid in cash and provided a free hot dog lunch. Little did I know at the time caddying would also pay my college tuition and teach me invaluable life lessons over the following ten summers. 

The main character in my novel A Reason to Run works as a caddie. The book’s not about caddying, but many of the values I learned looping appear in the themes of my book.

"No Bare Feet and Other Lessons From the Caddie Yard" is a series of monthly musings on the personal and professional lessons I learned as a young caddie.

Lessons in this series: 

Lesson #13: Patience

Lesson #12: You Had to Be There

Lesson #11: Today Thinking

Lesson #10: It's Okay to Sweat the Small Stuff

Lesson #9: Giving Back

Lesson #8: Don't Waste the Garbage Time

Lesson #7: It's About How You Spend Your Time on the Course

Lesson #6: Make Yourself Useful

Lesson #5: Repair Your Divots

Lesson #4: It's Not About Perfection

Lesson #3: Don't Be Petty

Lesson #2: Caffeine, the Serenity Prayer and Thoughts on Organization

Lesson #1: Show Up, Pay Attention and Follow Through

You Had to Be There (Lesson #12 From "No Bare Feet and Other Lessons From the Caddie Yard")

You Had to Be There (Lesson #12 From "No Bare Feet and Other Lessons From the Caddie Yard")
Dec 20, 2023 by Mike Magluilo

Growing up in 1980s Chicago I had access to a number of summer enrichment activities. My parents called them part-time jobs.

After three holes of caddie school, I signed up for a job that let me work outdoors, paid in cash and provided a free hot dog lunch. Little did I know at the time caddying would also pay my college tuition and teach me invaluable life lessons over the following ten summers. 

The main character in my novel A Reason to Run works as a caddie. The book’s not about caddying, but many of the values I learned looping appear in the themes of my book.

"No Bare Feet and Other Lessons From the Caddie Yard" is a series of monthly musings on the personal and professional lessons I learned as a young caddie.

Lessons in this series: 

Lesson #12: You Had to Be There

Lesson #11: Today Thinking

Lesson #10: It's Okay to Sweat the Small Stuff

Lesson #9: Giving Back

Lesson #8: Don't Waste the Garbage Time

Lesson #7: It's About How You Spend Your Time on the Course

Lesson #6: Make Yourself Useful

Lesson #5: Repair Your Divots

Lesson #4: It's Not About Perfection

Lesson #3: Don't Be Petty

Lesson #2: Caffeine, the Serenity Prayer and Thoughts on Organization

Lesson #1: Show Up, Pay Attention and Follow Through

Today Thinking (Lesson #11 From No Bare Feet and Other Lessons From the Caddie Yard)

Nov 28, 2023 by Mike Magluilo

Growing up in 1980s Chicago I had access to a number of summer enrichment activities. My parents called them part-time jobs.

After three holes of caddie school, I signed up for a job that let me work outdoors, paid in cash and provided a free hot dog lunch. Little did I know at the time caddying would also pay my college tuition and teach me invaluable life lessons over the following ten summers. 

The main character in my novel A Reason to Run works as a caddie. The book’s not about caddying, but many of the values I learned looping appear in the themes of my book.

"No Bare Feet and Other Lessons From the Caddie Yard" is a series of monthly musings on the personal and professional lessons I learned as a young caddie.

Lessons in this series: 

Lesson #11: Today Thinking

Lesson #10: It's Okay to Sweat the Small Stuff

Lesson #9: Giving Back

Lesson #8: Don't Waste the Garbage Time

Lesson #7: It's About How You Spend Your Time on the Course

Lesson #6: Make Yourself Useful

Lesson #5: Repair Your Divots

Lesson #4: It's Not About Perfection

Lesson #3: Don't Be Petty

Lesson #2: Caffeine, the Serenity Prayer and Thoughts on Organization

Lesson #1: Show Up, Pay Attention and Follow Through

Lesson 10: It's Okay to Sweat the Small Stuff ("No Bare Feet and Other Lessons From the Caddie Yard")

Nov 01, 2023 by Mike Magluilo

Growing up in 1980s Chicago I had access to a number of summer enrichment activities. My parents called them part-time jobs.

After three holes of caddie school, I signed up for a job that let me work outdoors, paid in cash and provided a free hot dog lunch. Little did I know at the time caddying would also pay my college tuition and teach me invaluable life lessons over the following ten summers. 

The main character in my novel A Reason to Run works as a caddie. The book’s not about caddying, but many of the values I learned looping appear in the themes of my book.

"No Bare Feet and Other Lessons From the Caddie Yard" is a series of monthly musings on the personal and professional lessons I learned as a young caddie.

Lessons in this series: 

Lesson #10: It's Okay to Sweat the Small Stuff

Lesson #9: Giving Back

Lesson #8: Don't Waste the Garbage Time

Lesson #7: It's About How You Spend Your Time on the Course

Lesson #6: Make Yourself Useful

Lesson #5: Repair Your Divots

Lesson #4: It's Not About Perfection

Lesson #3: Don't Be Petty

Lesson #2: Caffeine, the Serenity Prayer and Thoughts on Organization

Lesson #1: Show Up, Pay Attention and Follow Through