The View from a Drawbridge

Tag: independent

  • Wounded Bird Syndrome

    False weakness is deplorable.

  • On Being Taken Care Of

    Is this what it feels like to have someone give an actual sh*t about you?

  • “I Can Do It Myself!!!”

    According to family lore, that was one of the first full sentences I ever uttered. That does not surprise me in the least. I’ve always been very independent. I started working when I was 10 years old, growing house plants and selling them at the local flea market. My first major purchase was tickets to…

  • Just the Right Amount of Strange

    Have you ever met someone and clicked with them instantly because they’re the same kind of weird that you are? Isn’t it great? It’s such a relief to feel understood and accepted. Recently someone pointed out to me that there’s really no such thing as normal. Good point. I’ve never known anyone who hasn’t felt…

  • A New Take on the Seattle Freeze

    Moving to Seattle is the best thing I’ve ever done. I love it here. I’m fairly sure I’ll never completely fit in, though. But then, I don’t suppose I did in Florida, either. After being confused by mixed signals for a couple months, I finally learned about the Seattle Freeze. In one blog entry, before…

  • 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…

  • Hive Mind

    I don’t know about you, but I’m tired. I’m tired of thinking. I’m tired of trying to figure out what’s true and what’s not. I’m tired of worrying about what I can do to help fix this increasingly broken world of ours. But the only other option is to let others do the thinking for…

  • I’m Not Buying It

    When I was a little girl, some well-meaning adult, who clearly didn’t know me at all, bought me a doll. I hope she didn’t spend too much money on it, because as soon as she left the house it got stuffed in the back of my closet, never to be seen again. I didn’t play…

  • Loving My Thankless Job

    A friend of mine recently pointed out that I have a thankless job. As a bridgetender, I’m always shocked to discover the vast number of people who don’t even know I exist. People tend to assume that all drawbridges are automated. They don’t realize how lucky they are that most aren’t. People can easily die…

  • Child-Free and No Regrets

    I was talking to a 30 year old woman who does not want to have kids, and she was venting about the societal pressures that are placed upon her. Boy, could I relate. She said she got very sick of hearing… and we said it simultaneously… “You’ll change your mind.” Now that I’m 50, people…