When Did We Stop Teaching Kids How to Behave in Public?

I’ve written about this before, but this is really starting to piss me off. The other night in a crowded restaurant, a friend and I found ourselves dodging squeals, shrieks, climbing on the bar (yes, you read that right), and running around from toddlers who had turned the place into a playground. Grandparents and dadContinue reading “When Did We Stop Teaching Kids How to Behave in Public?”

The Myth of Doing It All Before 7 a.m.

Scroll through LinkedIn or Facebook, and you’ll see no shortage of “rise and grind” posts. Someone is at the gym before 5 a.m., someone else has read a book, sent fifteen emails, meditated, cooked breakfast for their family, and outlined their daily goals – all before you’ve finished your first coffee. The message is clear:Continue reading “The Myth of Doing It All Before 7 a.m.”

A Dog in the Library

As I’ve written about before, libraries were once considered sacred. Whisper-only zones. The quietest public space you could find outside a soundproof room. You came in, grabbed your books, or settled down at a table, and the unspoken agreement was simple: silence. Respect the space and others. Respect the idea that not everything in lifeContinue reading “A Dog in the Library”

The Danger of Always Doing More When Enough Is Actually Enough

This entry is the first in a two-part series. Part two will be published September 15. I’ve been guilty of it more times than I can count. The nagging voice that says you could be doing more. More work, more hustle, more output, more proving yourself. It sneaks into my spiritual life, my business life,Continue reading “The Danger of Always Doing More When Enough Is Actually Enough”

Rant No. 13: The Chaos at Self-Checkout

Self-checkout was supposed to make shopping faster, easier, and more efficient. Supposed to. Instead, it’s become a full-contact sport, a test of patience, and a reminder that sometimes, technology makes life more complicated, not better. First off, there’s the machine itself. You scan an item, and it yells at you like a cranky teacher: “UnexpectedContinue reading “Rant No. 13: The Chaos at Self-Checkout”

The Struggle With What Holds Us Together

It’s always struck me as strange — the very thing that holds me together is also the thing I wrestle with the most. For me, that’s my spiritual side. It grounds me, lifts me, and gives me perspective, and yet it’s been a struggle for twenty years. I’ve asked myself countless times: Why would somethingContinue reading “The Struggle With What Holds Us Together”

Rant No. 12: Menus I Can’t Read and Meals I Can’t Pronounce

Dining out is supposed to be simple: you sit down, look at the menu, order your food, and enjoy. But somewhere along the way, restaurants decided that clarity was boring and mystery was chic. Now, half the time I open a menu, I feel like I need a magnifying glass, a flashlight, and maybe aContinue reading “Rant No. 12: Menus I Can’t Read and Meals I Can’t Pronounce”

When Work Feels Like a Vacation

There’s something odd about working remotely and running your own show, especially when it’s something you love doing. I wrapped up my client(s) work early – not because I was rushing or watching the clock, but because I’d hit that sweet spot where the to-do list was done and my brain decided it had hadContinue reading “When Work Feels Like a Vacation”

Rant No. 11: The Eater-on-the-Phone (and the Table Texter)

It’s Tuesday, so it’s time for another rant. Let’s talk about something that probably drives you up the wall, too, and that is getting a phone call from someone who’s clearly eating while they’re talking. I’m talking about the full soundscape: the slurping, the chewing, the lip-smacking, the crunching of chips, or the scraping/clanking ofContinue reading “Rant No. 11: The Eater-on-the-Phone (and the Table Texter)”

You Can’t Make This Stuff Up: The Musical Chairs Brigade

It’s Monday and like most people, I’m grinding my way through it with a series of video calls followed by plenty of writing. I start getting antsy, and with the library closed on Mondays, I head to the hangout, as I call it. Thankfully, it is quiet. The sun is shining, and the restaurant isContinue reading “You Can’t Make This Stuff Up: The Musical Chairs Brigade”