Birthdays. Anniversaries. They're generally happy events. Opportunities to create treasured memories with those we care about. But special dates can become prickly reminders when . . .
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With a death grip on the steering wheel, I scan the landscape for maniacs and barreling 18-wheelers. Venturing into the fast lane always proves mildly terrifying for the first few minutes.
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Here's a blindingly brilliant stunner for you: "A key piece to solving loneliness? Friendship."
I got a good eyeroll out of that headline. But I also got a little ticked-off at the arrogance of the assumption.
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I've been thinking about things in my life I'd like to revise in 2024. Not alone in that, certainly. Virtually every newspaper or magazine you pick up this time of year reminds us of our obligation to take advantage of a fresh start, a new beginning, a clean slate, and all the other clichéd redundancies.
But this year I felt a need to approach things a bit differently.
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Noise has always bothered me. The kaboom of Independence Day fireworks made me cower as a child. The roar of the State Fair midway sent me running in search of a saner space as a teenager. And as a 20-something, the frantic buzzing of rush hour traffic while waiting for a bus left me straining for escape.
As an adult,
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How old are you? The blunt question came hurtling out of the blue, from a woman I had met only minutes before.
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I went neighborhood bathing before breakfast today.
Before your eyebrows disappear into your hairline, this did not involve my playing Goldilocks with various neighbors' bathtubs. In fact, no shocking display of inappropriate behavior was involved. This early morning ritual of ambling the winding streets surrounding my townhouse cluster is simply my version of what trendy types call "forest bathing."
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Have you ever noticed the attitude of contestants on quiz shows when they've opted to take the prize money they've already accumulated and walk away rather than risking it on the chance to gain even more?
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It's time for some happy talk. So dive in for the latest in practical and research-based formulas for reclaiming bright spirits in a world that feeds our fears and insecurities as if it were tossing peanuts to hungry zoo animals.
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Benji is eleven inches tall at the shoulders, has seven inch legs, and weighs fourteen pounds. He has a hairless potbelly which is stained bright red from the iron ore-rich ground he walks on.
Benji loves everyone and is a patient and serene beast. He allows cats to sleep with him, as long as they don’t try to lay on him. When he walks, he wobbles from stern to bow in an appealing waddle.
Above anything else in the world, Benny loves food. Although dry food is left out for the dogs, they still receive a canned treat in the evening, and Benny’s day is centered on this event. While he’s sucking up this canned food, his little body stiffens like a puppy’s, and—between the slurping sounds—can be heard little snuffles, snorts, and moans of pleasure.
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