I got some pushback on Tuesday’s post about we the people needing more empathy. Let me muddy the waters a little. You can have empathy for a person’s situation without letting them do whatever they want. You can—often—help a person who is struggling without enabling bad choices. An example: You give your kid an objectively … Read more
Hello! I’m back and will be writing twice per week—Tuesdays and Thursdays. No more Sunday photos. I’m sharing a photo or two weekly via my newsletter, as well as other writing. If you’re interested, you can sign up here. Just one email every Friday. A friend wrote about her experience in hearing that a local … Read more
Twice in the last few months, two middle-age or older men who know me only in the context of Heat have addressed me as Heather. Both went a bit out of their way to ensure I’d notice they called me Heather and not Heat. I think it’s weird. I’ve been told explicitly—also by middle-aged or … Read more
In the last two years and change, Rocket Kid did a fair amount of schooling online, including a full quarter in an online self-guided program. Fortunately, the work was rarely a problem—he typically understood and could complete assignments. How to navigate on the computer? That’s another matter. Much like his course work, I could show … Read more
The short answer: pretty much anything. Parents can and should monitor content but not the delivery system. Your kid likes to read novels? Great! Graphic novels? Great! Magazines? Great! Encyclopedias? Great! Audiobooks? Great! I don’t think it matters. It’s critically important for babies and young children to be read to. While I haven’t been good … Read more
Most jobs have a degree of complexity and/or nuance not visible to people outside of the job, even if they’re in the same work place, and running a household is on that list, especially if there are children involved. Babies are time- and energy-consuming. Even babies with lovely dispositions without food issues who sleep well … Read more
Deep in a musty electronic basement, I found a piece that I started writing but didn’t finish or publish about the 2020 Superbowl halftime show. What better day to publish it than today? Some themes are evergreen and while the event is a long time ago, the problem persists. The performance that year was Shakira … Read more
Climbing Daddy and I went to Austin recently to see a performance by Hannah Gadsby. She is autistic, which she’s spoken about very openly in her shows. We received an email saying that the doors opened at 6, show started at 7, and late arrivals would be seated when there was an appropriate break in … Read more
I was walking along the canal with a girlfriend. It was early morning but the sun was up. We had a conversation about passers-by. She doesn’t trust them. She checked out everyone who came towards us with a quick glance over her shoulder after we’d passed them. It didn’t matter who they were, how many … Read more
It’s been 15 years. Fifteen years ago yesterday, unable to breathe deeply or while laying down, I was admitted to my local hospital with what would eventually be diagnosed as Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. It was a long road—two weeks until treatment started (though plenty of unpleasantries in those two weeks). Six months of chemo (extended by … Read more