Thirty-four days ago, my life was shaken by an earthquake of the metaphorical sort. A relationship I thought to be rock-solid showed significant signs of deterioration, perhaps beyond the point of saving. An email arrived in the late afternoon of August 1, 2016 that threatened my understanding of my place in this world. It threatened …
Scenes from a shopping mall
A few days ago, I found myself thick in a conversation with a young woman who, for the purposes of this conversation, we’ll call Maggie. Maggie is your average young woman: Struggling to find her voice, to fit in, to feel comfortable in skin that’s still growing … in all directions. She’s occasionally timid, rarely …
I’ve had enough judgment
Since I started training to be a Curvy Yoga teacher, I’ve been engaged in a long process (still in the early stages) of learning how to listen to, accept, respect, honor, and love my body. After 39 years of having not-so-accepting feelings towards this body, it has been hard. I still hear the (mostly imagined) …
Everyone is friendly in Las Vegas
I’m currently visiting Las Vegas with my mom and her two friends — by which I mean I invited myself along on their girls’ trip to Vegas — and I’ve noticed something on this particular visit that I haven’t noticed before: People in Las Vegas are just friendly. You hop on an elevator to go …
Making a fresh start
Welcome. If we’ve not met before, allow me to share a bit of information that those in the loop have known for a long time: I’m a writer. Words float in my head, animate my dreams, and populate my spaces. I collect words, fine-tune words, allow words to flow out of me whenever I have …
The 12 Ties That Bind
Fascinating.
There is still much work to do.
For the first time in WELL over a year, I went to see Maggie today while in a less-than-rosy mindset. This made our hour together (I’m afraid I went over the 50-minute time slot allocated) unusually productive. What was the takeaway? I’ve still got SO much work to do. Goodness. But what was most gratifying …
La solitudine
A few days ago, on my way up the mountain en route to see The Math Professor, I queued up Laura Pausini’s huge 1990s hit, “La Solitudine,” on the good ol’ iPod. As is often the case when I listen to this song in the car, I was singing the words to this song aloud …
I’d be lost without my iPod.
When I’m having a bad day (or, like now, a bad WEEK), absent warmer alternatives, I run headlong to my iPod, trotting out music I listen to infrequently but that conjures up memories that provide an escape from that which is suboptimal in the present. I don’t know how I’d cope with moments like these …
PhD examining, round four
Yep, that’s right — in less than 36 hours, I will be well underway on my fourth experience with a PhD comprehensive exam, and it’s my sincere hope that, unlike 67% of my prior attempts, my efforts will be rewarded with approval and establishment willingness to allow me to continue on this doctoral quest. I …