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On Being a Contrarian
Nothing makes me thirstier than being told there’s no water available. If a book has been banned, it goes to the top of my reading list. When someone tells me that this is no place for a lady, I suddenly feel as though I weigh 1000 pounds. (We shall not be moved!) If I’m asked,…
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Off Limits
There’s nothing on earth that makes me want to do something more than being told I cannot do that thing. Not that I’m going to disobey The Law writ large. I won’t even shout “fire” in a crowded movie theater. Laws are generally put into place for the protection of society. But some arbitrary rules…
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Idiotic Policies
I had a weird conversation the other day with Bloodworks Northwest, my local blood bank. It seems that I can’t donate next time because if I do, I’ll have given blood more than 6 times in a 12 month period. Me: “Can’t you give blood every 8 weeks?” Them: “Yes.” Me: “6 x 8 is…
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Structure
An interesting conversation with my friend Amy recently made me realize that there seem to be two types of people in this world: Those who thrive on structure and those who chafe when forced to be structured. I fall firmly in the former camp. I like planning things. I flourish with boundaries. If I don’t…
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It Takes All Kinds
I used to work with someone whose anxiety came out in the form of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). On really bad nights, she’d actually walk up to the bridge on the roadway, on the dotted yellow line, because to her way of thinking, encountering a 4,000 pound vehicle was vastly preferable to walking on the…
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MAKING America Great
I have no idea why, but I’ve known a lot of ex-cops in my lifetime, and have had some disturbing conversations therewith. I strongly believe that certain jobs attract certain personalities, and I have to confess that I’ve always been sort of creeped out by the cop culture, as much as truly I appreciate that…
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Academia
Recently I had the pleasure of walking through the gorgeous campus of the University of Washington here in Seattle. (Go Huskies!) It gave me butterflies. Not only did the stately brick buildings make me feel like I’d stepped into Hogwarts, but also I got that old familiar feeling. Call it academic fever if you like.…
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Lessons I Should Have Learned Way Before Age 50
This has been a year of great change and great learning for me. I’m starting completely over at 50, and that creates a unique set of challenges. It also allows for a unique set of insights. Here are a few things that I’m finally starting to figure out this year that I wish I had…
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Family Norms
One spring break in college I went home with a friend. Half Catholic Italian, half Jewish, hers was a noisy, welcoming household. Neighbors would come and go without knocking on their door, and help themselves to whatever happened to be cooking on the stove. The house was full of light and crackled with energy. And…