Several times in the past year, we’ve been at a place or in a group where we’re new. We walk in, looking kind of lost. While someone usually will help us to get to where we need to be to get started, it seems that that’s the end of it. As I’ve talked to other … Read more
It’s my birthday today! Except that mostly, it doesn’t matter. Work, chores, appointments, etc. all happen regardless. Which is fine (and reasonable). The number changing doesn’t make me feel any different. I know quite a few people on both sides of that fence—some who don’t care about the number turning over and some who react … Read more
I hate planned obsolescence. I hate cheap shit. I hate the “everything disposable” mindset. I hate WalMart and the Dollar Store. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t want to pay tons of money for everything, necessarily, but we need to find a way back to well-made things that can be kept for a long time, … Read more
Today’s post is full of broad sweeping statements. Of course they are not true for every individual in every category. But I’m not going to make a disclaimer in every paragraph because it’s unwieldy to read. Many companies are introducing (or have already introduced) wellness incentive plans regarding various biomarkers of their employees (with questionable … Read more
I was invited to consider volunteering to do remembrance photography. (Invited as part of a photography group. Not personally invited.) I clicked through to see if it was what I thought it was. It was. Volunteer photographers do photo sessions with parents and their deceased infants. The example photos shown were very much like typical … Read more
Apologies. We tend not to be good at them. We tend to force children to mutter them insincerely. We get in the habit of muttering them insincerely, if we mutter them at all. The first place I heard an excellent, clear explanation of what an apology should be was in Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture at … Read more
Individual stories are where real emotional power lies. I mean, that 3,000 people were killed is quite something. That millions were killed in WWII is staggering. They’re numbers. They’re big numbers. They’re easy to wield, hard to comprehend. “A single death is a tragedy. A million deaths is a statistic.” Stories? Those are where power … Read more
The summer before I left for college, one of my aunts took me out for lunch. Part of her message to me that day was: things don’t always go according to plan. Plan accordingly. Somewhere in her early 20s, a year-ish after she was first married, her husband died. Brain tumor, maybe? I don’t remember … Read more
Freedom of speech is a right protected by the First Amendment. I’ve seen many people reply (in appropriate contexts) that freedom of speech is protected but freedom from consequences of said speech is not. It’s a good point. But the other day, I heard this reply, which I found equally compelling. The context was in … Read more
Thanksgiving. Natural disasters. Christmas. Man-made disasters. Toys. Food. Clothes. Household items. Socks. Diapers. Toiletries. There are always people in need. There are times when, as an outsider, it seems more dire. And so, we have stuff drives. My request to you—and it’s definitely not an original to me—is to be mindful with your donations. The … Read more