When I saw this tag sticking out of a houseplant at Lowe’s the other day, I was struck with deep, immediate jealousy. Why didn’t I come with instructions like this? I’ve spent the better part of 43 years of trial and error figuring out exactly what I need to succeed. Some Cliffs Notes sure would’ve … More What I Need to Succeed
Ah, 2016. I feel guilty admitting this, but on a personal level, I’ve got no beef with you. This was my first year since 2011 with no hospitalizations. My family and friends and pets all survived the year. My husband and stepson and I went on some great trips and adventures, spent lots of just-as-wonderful … More 2016, in Collage Form
Sometimes when I’m at work enduring a painfully long, aimless meeting, I think that this whole stable, responsible, grown-up lifestyle is keeping me from experiencing a life of complete joy and fulfillment. Like every other working stiff, I look forward to 5:30, can’t wait to make it to the weekend, and daydream about retirement. I fantasize about … More Frittering Away My Days
There was a time in my early adulthood when I prided myself on my ability to resist all the salespeople and marketers and advertisers of the world. I’d picture them around a gleaming conference table, all smug in their three-piece suits, plotting sinister ways to trick me into buying crap I don’t need. Every time … More Succumbing to Shopping
Growing up in North Myrtle Beach, I knew a number of kids whose parents owned small businesses—beachfront motels, seafood restaurants, even miniature golf courses—and I always thought it must be neat to be part of a family business. As I got older, it occurred to me that I was kind of part of one too, … More Secret Family Recipe
I know everyone keeps saying 2016 was awful, full of losses, and I really can’t argue with that. But Thanksgiving is coming up and with it, a reminder that even in the midst of mourning the things we’ve lost, we can still be thankful for the things that remain, and that feeling of gratitude can … More A Thanksgiving Wish
Like every one of you, I’ve lived through some dark and dismal days. Along the way, I’ve collected quite an assortment of coping mechanisms to see me through. One of the key pieces of equipment in my personal Toolbox of Sanity is language. Time and again, words have been there for me. Over the years, … More No Language in our Lungs
We are living in dark, confusing times. Regardless of our individual perspectives and opinions, I think in the last 18 months or so, we’ve all felt some heightened uncertainty and fearfulness about the future. Because there’s a menace out there, and it’s a real, tangible, imminent threat to all that we, as Americans, hold dear. … More The Edge of Destruction
I’ll spare you all the whys and wherefores, but suffice it to say that things have been stressful in my department at work lately. I’ve been pondering what I can do to make things better, but mine is a position of responsibility without any actual authority or power. I have no control over salaries, budgets, … More Failing to Inspire
By the time I reached 17 years of age, I knew everything. If you don’t believe me, you should build a time machine, go back to 1990, quiz me, and prepare to be amazed. The things knew back then include (but aren’t limited to): all the state capitals the trigonometric functions how to diagram sentences … More Losing my Mind
Maria Linn 