Blog
And I Should Celebrate You Because?
Do birthday cards get meaner as we get older or do we get meaner because we get old? It's a strange phenomenon. I got a card last week that said: "I've decided to do something special for your birthday, but it doesn't include you." That's not funny. That's sad. It...
Timing Your Exodus
Have you ever been star-struck? After living in Los Angeles for many years, I got used to working with celebrities, but before that I was just a young, inexperienced college intern knocking on the dressing room door of an Academy Award winning actor. Known for...
When What You Know Doesn’t Matter and Who You Know Does
One time, When I was in high school and going through the college admission's process, my English teacher, Ed Breslin, told me that life isn't always about what you know; often, he said, it's about who you know. I didn't even know what he meant, but his insight would...
Hello Loooooozer,
Have you ever made a new year's resolution that you truly intended to keep, only to chide yourself in the first week of January for failing to keep it? I did it for years and felt like a big, fat loser. But I went on making resolutions every year, even though my...
A Priest, A Pastor, A Rabbi and an Imam Went To The Airport
Did you know that some of the busiest airports in the world have chapels? It's true. I've used them occasionally. To sit in solitude and pray for selfish ends like short security lines, an aisle seat, and a family vacation where no one bickers. Until my friend told me...
You Have to Give It Away To Keep It
What's the name of that awful Christmas song? It has something to do with Christmas being the most wonderful time of year. I love the idea - and the lyrics, but I think Christmas is the most stressful time of year hands down. We grab fleeting moments of feeling love...
How To Get Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable
Have you ever gotten through an entire day without feeling uncomfortable? After suffering a panic attack before teaching a writing class at the library last month, the director from a recovery house called to ask if I would consider teaching that same class to the...
I Choose You
When you marry, do you have to marry the family too? I married Andy, the youngest of eight, and from the very beginning I knew I was marrying his family, but it's been a blessing in more ways than the number of us that have multiplied over the years. I've been...
Now That The Cubs Won, Is Baseball Over?
Are you a baseball fan? It's hard not to be, but I'm from Chicago, so I'm especially excited about the Cubbies clinching a come-from-behind World Series win, after 108 years. But let's be honest. Before the Cubs were on the cusp of winning the Holy Grail of baseball,...
“bird by bird,” word by word
Teaching is terrifying. I taught my class at the library this week - ©The Writer's Shed: Everyone Has a Story. The night before, I woke up mid-dream, and mid-excuse with a top ten list of why I wouldn't be able to teach in the morning. Here it is: 1) Couldn't sleep 2)...
Identity Theft: An Inside Job
Do you ever feel like someone might steal your identity? Not me; I don't have one - yet. I'm looking though. Since my kids are growing up at an alarming pace and I'm feeling downsized, I've been faced with the challenge of finding my identity, so I started looking for...
Humor Me: Happy Halloween from Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump
I've explained to my kids that this election is like no other, and that I'm glad it's almost over. For Halloween, my youngest (Trump face and no pants) had candy thrown at him, and my oldest (Bernie face) ran from door-to-door yelling: "Feeeeel the Bern," only to be...
- « Previous
- 1
- 2
- 3
- Next »