Category: Uncategorized
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is looking better self-love?
Amid many topics, my friends and I occasionally ponder aging and interventions we’d consider, ranging from facials to cosmetic surgery. We ask questions like, “What would you be willing to do to look better?” No doubt you and your friends ask these kinds of questions, whether you’re thirty or seventy. Our intervention choices are vast.…
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Is bleepin’ cussing necessary?
I’m crawling into a shrub, my shirt dampening with dew from its leaves and my ponytail unraveling in the branches. I’m pulling my Yorkie away from cat feces that he’s attempting to eat, and I’m throwing down a few cuss words. “Cat poo” doesn’t cut it. Neither does “darn it.” I’m carrying my Yorkie away…
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Familiarity: Stifling or Soothing?
“I got a real compliment for you…” “I’m so afraid you’re about to say something awful.” I fell asleep again only to wake up to hear, “My knees go when you turn on the charm full blast.” Exhausted, I missed at least half of the dialogue in this classic Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt movie.…
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When Correspondence Wasn’t Enough
It was 1969, and I sang and twirled and imagined that my dad was sitting in the green, oversized wicker chair in my grandparents’ kitchen listening to a tape recording of Judy Collins. “My father always promised us that we would live in France.” The lyrics, especially from “My Father,” kept my dad, who was…
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take the trick out of the treat
Let’s say you have a bunch of plain, peanut, or almond chocolate bars left over from Halloween. Or let’s say your grandnephew gave you a solid chocolate Harry Potter frog from Disneyland heralding 19 grams of sugar per serving. You can “magically” cut the sugar grams in half by mixing in coconut oil, which touts…
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Lying on a beach might’ve been easier
During recent travels to Vietnam and Cambodia, my sister and I faced surprising challenges to having perspective. You’d think I’d be practiced at this from experiencing a variety of cultures and having worked in education for 28 years, guiding students to take the perspective of and empathize with others from diverse backgrounds and cultures. Growing…
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Students choose cheers not jeers
“You suck!” Stomp, stomp. “You suck!” Stomp, stomp. I was seated in front of a group of young people that were joining in this chant set to music blared over the loudspeaker. A chant obviously sanctioned by the sports organization. I thought to myself, “No wonder my job as an administrator supervising sports and spectators…
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Here’s the dirt on fresh produce
When my hands plunge into the soil, when I bend to pick strawberries and blueberries, reach into a tree to pluck peaches, or snip a head of lettuce, I’m reminded of the origins of food. In the garden, I’ll smile as I recall a conversation, probably in 2003, when I taught English at West Seattle…
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grandparents against graffiti
Recently, I was in a restaurant bathroom and on the wall was scrawled, “Class of 2021” and “Class of 2024.” This graffiti annoyed me because most young people have no concept of the time, cleaning supplies, and paint it takes to remove this blight. I know this because I was once a teenager and probably…
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“American Idol,” a Mirror for Writers
As I’ve watched “American Idol,” I’ve felt a pang of recognition in the artists’ commitment to creating something that’s authentic to their style yet having to adapt to industry standards of success. These vocalists and musicians are quite raw in the beginning of the season, but with coaching, coiffing, and cajoling rise as stars. I’m…
Fedore Writer 