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My Newfound Independence
Every year on this date, my thoughts naturally turn toward independence. But this year, ah, this year! I truly am feeling independent for the first time in ages. First of all, I am a homeowner again. That means that I am no longer at the mercy of landlords. I don’t have to worry about them…
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Perspective
This country is going to hell in a handbasket. I’m not getting any younger. I’ll never be able to afford to retire or own a home again. And I’ve pretty much given up on romance. If you’re looking, it’s usually not hard to find things to be discouraged about. In fact, it’s pretty easy. It’s…
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A Maternal Instinct for Benign Neglect
I really have to hand it to my mother. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I was exposed to the idea that parents were capable of disliking their children. Ma never gave me that impression, so the concept never occurred to me. When I was in my early 20’s, my mother admitted to…
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Least Favorite
I just finished doing the least glamorous, most disgusting part of my job. I spent an hour getting cigarette butts off the sidewalks and bike lanes of my bridge. So many thoughts go through my head while I do this. Smoking is a disgusting habit, compounded by the fact that these butt-throwers clearly have no…
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Changing Your Tune
There are very few things that I find more irritating than hearing someone sing off key. That’s a bit ironic, because trust me when I tell you that you never, ever want to hear me sing. It’s kind of genetic. When my family launches into a Christmas carol, all the stray cats abandon the neighborhood.…
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Skydiving at Seventy-Three
When a heavy cloak of depression settles down upon my shoulders, I tend to feel as if life has passed me by. I start to ask myself what the point could possibly be, and when I’m unable to answer that question I give up hope, and start resigning myself to my fate. Why even try?…
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My Truth About Mexico
In my sophomore year in college, I had the great good fortune to study abroad in Guanajuato, Mexico. I think everyone should study abroad at some point. It expands your worldview. And based on commentary in recent years, it’s painfully clear that America’s worldview needs expanding, especially in terms of our neighbor to the south.…
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It’s Not the Situation, but How You Cope With It.
A friend recently posted this on Facebook: I had never really thought of this! But it’s true. A potato definitely copes with boiling water differently than an egg does. This is the case with many things: The sun will melt ice but harden clay. If you drop a turtle into a pond it will swim…
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An Appeal to All Supervisors
I’m sure the very people who most need to read this are the very ones who won’t, but nevertheless I have to try. If I manage to influence just one person to change for even one hour, then I’ve done something great. Supervisors wield more power than they realize. Often employees spend more time with…
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Raise Your Head
I used to know someone who was so pessimistic that it was draining to be in his presence. I’m not exactly Little Mary Sunshine myself, but I do have a fundamental philosophical difference with that guy that we were never able to resolve. I believe your attitude can dictate your mood. He believes that you…