Never Underestimate Small-Town Artists
Last summer, I wandered into a local art show not expecting very much. I had visited a few art galleries in my time. You know, those ones you might find at a city hall or some museum featuring a host of other stuff. But it was always the big city version, not a small town. …
The Quiet Signs That Burnout Is Finally Lifting
Burnout is a strange thing. When you’re in the middle of it, you often don’t realize just how deep you’ve fallen into the hole. Everything feels heavy. Work that once came naturally suddenly feels like pushing a boulder uphill. Small tasks become exhausting while motivation disappears. And the strangest part of all is this quiet…
The Lexi Thompson “Retirement” That Wasn’t
I’ve been watching the reaction to Lexi Thompson’s “retirement” headlines that still show up sometimes and shaking my head a little. They usually show up when she commits to a tournament. The reaction is often, “I thought she retired or was retiring.” “For someone who retired, she sure plays a lot.” And, let’s face it,…
The Relationship Between Idleness and Overthinking
When The Beatles stopped touring in the mid-1960s, John Lennon reportedly said something that has always stuck with me. After years of constant travel, concerts, interviews, recording sessions, and screaming crowds, the band suddenly found themselves with something they hadn’t experienced in years: free time. Lots of free time. And Lennon allegedly remarked, half joking…
When Work Crowds Out Worry
Something happens when I’m busy. I’m not talking about pull-your-hair-out busy or overwhelmed busy, just steady, productive busy. When the work is flowing – articles being written, edits being made, ideas being shaped, outreach – something else quietly disappears from the background of my mind. Worry. It doesn’t vanish entirely, of course. Life doesn’t work…
When an Old Foot Injury Decides to Make a Comeback
One of the less glamorous parts of getting older is discovering that old injuries never really leave. They just wait. Quietly. Patiently. And then, out of nowhere, they remind you they’re still there. That happened to me yesterday. Years ago, I hurt my left foot. I don’t even remember every detail now, only that I…
The Unwritten Rules of Waiting Rooms
Doctor’s offices, dentists, hospital clinics, service departments, government buildings – they all have their own purpose, but the atmosphere is almost always the same. A quiet, slightly awkward space where a group of strangers sits together, waiting for their turn for something. And even though nobody ever explains them, waiting rooms seem to operate under…
The Secret Relief of Cancelled Plans (Introverts Know This Feeling)
Second entry in the Introvert series. You check your phone and see a message pop up. “Hey, sorry… something came up tonight. Can we reschedule?” Before you even finish reading it, something unexpected happens. A small wave of relief washes over you. You type back a polite reply, of course – something like, “No problem…
The Two-Hour Social Window Is An Introvert’s Secret Clock
Most introverts (like me) know something about themselves that they rarely say out loud. If they attend a social gathering, they’ll probably enjoy it. But after about two hours – three, max, they’ll likely be ready to go home. Not because the evening was bad or because the people weren’t pleasant. But because somewhere inside,…
Finding Warmth in Gulf Shores
The next entry in my occasional travel series of places I’ve been to. If you grow up in northern latitudes, winter vacations usually point in a few directions: the Caribbean, Florida, Arizona, maybe Texas, or Hawaii. But twice now, I’ve flown toward a different stretch of coastline – Gulf Shores, Alabama – and both times…
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