Show me what you’ve got…

Not many weeks ago, I found myself writing about the classic Frankenstein film from the 1930s in one of the chapters of the book I’m working on. In this chapter, I express my early empathy for monsters and outsiders, never thinking I would soon resemble a mad scientist’s creation. Yet, today, this is more orContinue reading “Show me what you’ve got…”

The most beautiful gift…

Cancer is a scary word. Although skin cancer can be less scary, the word melanoma isn’t something anyone wants to hear. Melanoma is the most life threatening of the skin cancers, spreading to lymph nodes and internal organs in as fast as a few weeks. Yesterday, I found out that I have melanoma….on my neck.Continue reading “The most beautiful gift…”

If I can cross a creek…

Wow….what a couple of months it’s been. Not only did I finally come to a good place again from which to date and entertain the possibility of a relationship, I met someone new and enjoyed some fun moments visiting museums, taking photos, sharing food, and overall playing like a kid. I emerged from the fog,Continue reading “If I can cross a creek…”

This is why I’m afraid…

Just want to take a minute to thank everyone who has followed my posts and to let you all know that I’m going to be taking a break. I am unsure for how long. As some of you may be aware, I have struggled to let go these past months. I have attempted to turnContinue reading “This is why I’m afraid…”

Removing the beads…

Traveling alone can be scary in specific moments. Take, for instance, my current hike up the Virgin River in Zion National Park. All is fine when I begin, as there are many people still traversing the canyon waters. However, it doesn’t escape my attention that most people walking the river are returning from the northContinue reading “Removing the beads…”

The start of something great…

The road can be good for clearing the mind and I am no stranger to taking a drive…..short or long. However, heading west from St. Louis yesterday, I didn’t feel the freedom and sense of adventure that often comes from travel. Music didn’t move me as much in the car, either. I’m not sure why,Continue reading “The start of something great…”

One can sure hope…

The reasons vary….why we hold back and don’t say the things we think or feel. And yet, at the core, the reasons are always the same. We’re afraid. We’re afraid of what someone might think of us, that we might hurt others with our words, or we might be the ones to get hurt. We’reContinue reading “One can sure hope…”

Maybe you…

Projects…..I’ve been happily buried in them since my hiatus from my seasonal job commenced mid-April. I did, however, take a week to vacation in Key Largo with my mother at the end of the month. A wonderful and meaningful time spent…..although, I do believe we were driving each other a bit crazy the last dayContinue reading “Maybe you…”

Don’t Let Them…

If I could do absolutely anything, I believe I would package hope and hand it out to anyone and everyone who needs it. There are just too many damaged and broken people out there….and many are adults who just can’t seem to find their way to satisfying relationships with those of the opposite sex. They’reContinue reading “Don’t Let Them…”

Lessons Learned: The 12 Most Significant Growth-Inducing Realizations of my Life (in the last 12 years)…

Like most people, I’ve learned many valuable lessons over the course of my life…..assimilating them into my world view until the memory of when and how I learned them was lost and it seemed there was never a time before when I hadn’t known their truths. But that’s not yet the case with the lessonsContinue reading “Lessons Learned: The 12 Most Significant Growth-Inducing Realizations of my Life (in the last 12 years)…”

Do it anyway…

By listening to our fears, we protect ourselves…sometimes from our worst nightmares. Overcoming fear, as I have learned from a few hugely impactful and distinct experiences in my life over the past 10 years, does not mean a discovery that the fears were irrational, invalid, illegitimate, and unjustified. We don’t conquer fear and that’s it…we’reContinue reading “Do it anyway…”

The 5 Deadly Fears of Loss (and what we gain by letting go)…

As I contemplated divorce more than a decade ago, I encountered a number of fears and uncertainties with the idea ending a 15 year-long marriage. Although I was pretty sure it’s what I wanted, I found that fear hides in the most unexpected places and in abundance. Furthermore, it’s not something one overcomes once, butContinue reading “The 5 Deadly Fears of Loss (and what we gain by letting go)…”

The Wall Cat…(a ‘sort of’ allegory)

During a date one night with a new romantic interest, the person I was seeing shared a story with me about a stray cat that once had gotten into a 10-inch wall space between his house’s original foundation and its addition.  For the better part of a year, he never really saw the cat andContinue reading “The Wall Cat…(a ‘sort of’ allegory)”

Just a chance…

We’ve all seen it before.  Someone wins big in a state lottery and all of their financial woes are seemingly gone in an instant.  If they play their cards right, they should never have to struggle again.  And yet, within a period of just a few years, they somehow blow all of their winnings andContinue reading “Just a chance…”

The one who bought my chairs…

On the sometimes rare occasion, one has the ever so fortunate experience of being transformed by another person. Like a comet passing by a dark world on its way somewhere else or perhaps a meteorite penetrating a lone planet’s atmosphere in a fantastic display of streaking light before leaving its permanent and indelible mark onContinue reading “The one who bought my chairs…”