I had my first appointment with a psychologist when I was in second grade. My school district forced me to see a counselor, during school hours, at least once a week (and usually twice), all the way through middle school because the administrators believed (based on my tendency to burst into tears when my teacher…
I’ve always been a worrier. Whenever my dad and my dog Rosco leave for one of the zillion or so walks they take together each day, my stomach clenches up tighter than a fist and I feel like the back of my throat is closing up until the moment they both arrive back home, safe…
Now, I know that most normal people like to listen to music on their iPods when they go out for a run or hit the weight machines at the gym. Not me. I prefer to listen to lectures while I work out. Whether I download my courses from some random (free) academic website or buy…
So, I was walking my dog, Rosco, the other day and I witnessed something that left me confused. No, more than that. Reeling. Freaked out. Wondering when the hell the rest of society abandoned all pretense of following “the rules.” It wasn’t a crime or even somebody just being rude. It was something much less…
I’ll admit something embarrassing: I’ve read a lot of self-help books, the kind of books that tell you to simplify your life, to focus on being grateful for what you have rather than whining about what you don’t have, yada yada yada. All of these books have one thing in common: They always tell you…
We’ve all heard the Big Brother-y motto the government has been drilling into our heads since 9/11: “See something, say something.” I get it. We all know we live in a potentially dangerous world, and it’s always a good idea to be vigilant. But my question is: How do you know when you’re actually “seeing…
I’m a writer. I write every day, even if it’s just a couple of sentences, squeezed in between other, more pressing tasks (that is, the kind of tasks that pay the bills and allow me to buy groceries and food for my dog, Rosco). To date, I have written 21 books (and managed to have…
We all know the quote: “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers” (Shakespeare, Henry VI, Part 2, Act IV, Scene 2). And though I agree wholeheartedly with the Bard that the lawyer herd could use some thinning, I might suggest a slight modification to Shakespeare’s quote and instead take aim at the…
I learned long ago that my brain never entirely shuts down, no matter how tired I am. It’s the reason I sleep so poorly and why I am always wide awake by 3:00 a.m., regardless of what time I might have gone to bed the night before. Recently, though, I realized something else about my…
Last week, on New Year’s Day, I was fighting a crippling bout of depression and hanging by my fingernails onto a slender thread of hope that things might get better in 2019. Today, I’m feeling (almost) like myself again. I know I’ve said it before, and I know I’m probably a little bit crazy, but…
This is a first for me. Usually, when I write these posts, I do it at least a couple of days ahead of time, but today, I’m writing off the cuff. Why? Not because I’m feeling spontaneous (trust me: I NEVER feel spontaneous). It’s because I’ve been so blue and depressed the past several weeks…
It’s Christmas morning and I’m taking the day off (mostly) to do all my favorite traditional holiday stuff like opening presents (and toasting the best ones with a big glass of Grand Marnier) and eating as much unhealthy food as possible. But at some point today, I’ll also be doing some writing—even if it’s just…
Remember a few years back, there was that whole movement called “Random Acts of Kindness?” I recall hearing about it—everywhere, ad nauseam—but I don’t remember actually witnessing a single random act (outside of the ones I committed myself, like giving the tollbooth operator an extra dollar to pay for the person behind me, just because…
I know I’m complaining again—or, rather, I’m about to—but here’s the thing: If I don’t point out the errors of the world, how are we ever going to fix them? Because clearly, and no offense, but y’all seem to be overlooking a whole lot of nonsense. So, the other day, I went over to our…
Let me set the scene: It’s Thanksgiving and we’ve just enjoyed a festive, if somewhat tense, holiday meal (what do you expect? Family brings out the crazy in everyone). We’re sitting around the table, letting our food settle while we wait for the coffee to brew so we can stuff some dessert into our already-full…