Is 44 Too Old to be Earnest?

One of my best, and maybe worst, qualities is my earnestness. I feel things deeply. Does earnestness drain like a gas tank, as your age-related perspective increases? Am I supposed to be more jaded, feeling more ennui, or even just not showing my feelings because it’s embarrassing (whether it’s supposed to be embarrassing for me or it just embarrasses others might be a worthy discussion as well.)

Have We Lost Our Humanity?

Or did we have any to begin with? Street art in Washington, DC. Photo taken by author. Let me start with this. Humanity has always been inhumane. Atrocities have been committed throughout history. And, while we aren’t experiencing Genghis Khan-level atrocities at the moment (though Ukrainians might disagree), the United States is certainly allowing smaller,ContinueContinue reading “Have We Lost Our Humanity?”

The Emotional Strength of Accepting Rejection

Somewhat Gracefully Photo by Clem Onojeghuo on unsplash.com. My writing’s been rejected a lot. Sometimes, it wasn’t the right fit for the publication or they had something similar in the works that hadn’t been published yet. Other times, editors have said the writing was good, but they just weren’t interested at that time. And, I’veContinueContinue reading “The Emotional Strength of Accepting Rejection”

New Year, No Need for a New Me

New Year, New Me is such a great slogan, isn’t it? The notion of a new (aka – better) version of yourself and using the start of a new year as the spark is certainly tempting. Or is it? Why do we get a million articles and ads pushing us to be something completely newContinueContinue reading “New Year, No Need for a New Me”

The Patriarchy’s Moral Compass Points Due South

The road to Hell is paved with bad intentions Photo by Narain Jashanmal on unsplash.com Is the patriarchy ok? Are y’all feeling good about where you stand vis-à-vis society? From my perspective, things are looking more than a little rough. I mean, you must love knowing that you’ve got so many people under your thumb,ContinueContinue reading “The Patriarchy’s Moral Compass Points Due South”

Do the Things that Scare You

Photo by Varun Gaba on unsplash.com. Yesterday, I did something completely out of my comfort zone. It was terrifying; I was worried about embarrassing myself, and it seemed borderline ridiculous. I did it anyway. And, that’s something to celebrate. We should all be doing more things that make us uncomfortable. Ok, let me start atContinueContinue reading “Do the Things that Scare You”

Why Care about Strangers?

Mural in NE Washington, DC. Photo taken by author. I’m at a point where I almost don’t have the words anymore. Whether it’s draconian laws being passed in multiple states in the United States by those determined to drag our country back to the 1950s or the ongoing, horrifying war in Ukraine, it seems thatContinueContinue reading “Why Care about Strangers?”

10 Reasons Americans Can Be Happy Right Now

Or, 10 reasons to stop whining about everything Photo taken by author. As Americans, we love nothing more than using social media, really any form of communication, to complain about all the things we hate, are irritated about, find frustrating, or otherwise dislike. The time is more than a little ripe for a reality check.ContinueContinue reading “10 Reasons Americans Can Be Happy Right Now”

Food for Thought on Ukraine: A Guest Post

Photo by Artem Apukhtin on Pixabay.com. Today I’m doing something a little different. I’ve handed over the writing reins to a friend from Madrid, Spain. He has some thoughts on the current war in Ukraine and I thought it would be interesting to provide one European’s perspective. Please join me in welcoming our guest writer,ContinueContinue reading “Food for Thought on Ukraine: A Guest Post”

January 6, 2021 — What Did It Mean for Our Democracy?

A one year anniversary reflection Stop the Steal Rally attendees, the morning of January 6, 2021. The Stop the Steal Rally later turned into the violent insurrection attempt at the U.S. Capitol. Photo is author’s own. It’s the one year anniversary of a violent attempted overthrow of the government. I knew it was coming. WeContinueContinue reading “January 6, 2021 — What Did It Mean for Our Democracy?”