Every morning I roll out of bed, wander into the living room, turn on the lights (I get up when it’s still dark), and scan the walls for spiders. Have I seen even one spider since we moved to Las Vegas last January? No. It’s a habit—long ingrained—because I don’t want any nasty surprises. Habits … Read more
When my spouse spent two months in a hospital recovering from a stroke, he lost 35 pounds. He was on a special diet limiting sugar, fats, and portions and despite spending a lot of time in a bed, the weight rolled off. Problem: He didn’t think he was overweight, he didn’t look overweight, and yet … Read more
I’m going to use a few sports analogies here because I witnessed a college football game yesterday that made my point. The UCLA Bruins were down almost 30 points at halftime. They were outplayed, outmaneuvered, and stopped cold by a team that appeared to be superior. Their coach said they went into the locker room … Read more
We’ve all heard the metaphorical phrase, “don’t judge a book by its cover.” We know it means look beneath the surface of a person before forming an opinion, rather than judging them by their outer trappings or behavior. But authors have a different take on the subject. We’re hammered daily by writing advice sites that … Read more
I became a professional writer at the age of ten when the generous owner of a children’s dress shop paid me four dollars for a four-line poem advertising her establishment. The moment is what’s called an “inciting incident.” It gave me confidence to write more poems, then essays, then a column in my local newspaper … Read more