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The Outsider – in Hindsight
Our post today is bitter-sweet. It starts with a story about exclusion, but has a happy ending.Many years ago I had a personal encounter with a form of social exclusion when I moved to a new town and attempted to make new friends there, only to discover a community too close-knit for an outsider to [...]
Fruit Platter instead of Birthday Cake – a Family Tradition
A few years ago we switched to fruit platters instead of cake and candy at our family’s birthday parties. And it worked!It was a question of installing healthy habits and by now has become a tradition. We were never big on cake and candy to start with, so the switch to fruit felt fairly natural [...]
It’s not always about You
Do you find yourself sometimes, during a conversation, listening to your own internal monolog rather than to the other person talking?Come on, we all do that.Here’s another: When another person talks, do you mostly think about how their story affects YOU, even though it had nothing to do with you?I admit, I do it often. [...]
We’re more Similar than Different
Did you know that every thought, feeling, emotion, idea, inkling, and experience you have, has already been thought/felt/experienced by someone else, somewhere, at some point?Intriguing, isn’t it? Let it sink in for a minute.Given the sheer number of humans on the face of our planet, it stands to reason that even our most unusual thoughts, [...]
Look who Came to Visit!
Look who came to visit us this morning!This Bambi was roaming in our backyard all by himself (herself?); no mommy, siblings, or any other deer around – at least none that I could see.Also, Bambi was limping.After nibbling on our cedar hedge and graciously posing for this picture, it turned around and limped into the [...]
Easy Homemade Subway-Style Sandwich
On the menu today is a homemade Subway-style sandwich which makes for a lovely light meal all on its own.It’s very tweakable too: you can add more vegetables if you like, or use fewer veggies, add or eliminate the cheese or the meat, use a different kind of spread; whichever way you like.Preps: 10 minutes [...]
The Outsider
What is it about small close-knit groups that makes them not very open to outsiders?I’m no sociologist by any stretch, but I’m fascinated with the subject of group dynamics.From what I’ve been observing, the more intimately-connected the group (such as a group of friends who have been together since childhood), the harder it will be [...]
Real Faces behind the Stigma
Many years ago I volunteered at a juvenile delinquent male-only rehabilitation center (ages 16-21) as part of a project promoting literacy for students from disadvantaged circles.It was the first time I saw in person what it meant to be marginalized. It was a cultural shock. Up until then, I had never met anyone who wasn’t, [...]
Writing that makes a Difference
Writers work with words and words have power.As a writer, one of my main goals is to use words to make a difference in people’s lives.When a reader feels inspired by a piece I wrote, when my text is meaningful to someone, when it has made someone feel good, my work has achieved its goal.Thing [...]
Fifty Shades of Grey – this Fall!
You know what’s depressing? A grey, cloudy, frosty November, rife with rain and snow and sleet!But you know what’s even more depressing? Reading a title that says ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’, only to find out, a few lines later, that the post is actually about the weather, that’s what!Sorry folks. Despite the potential juiciness of [...]
