We have a manual for everyone we meet. Operating instructions. The way they should behave – according to us. Some manuals are more intense than others. Some are 672 pages long. We have a lot of opinions. Judgments. Ideas. Rules for behavior. We think we know what’s best for everyone. We think we would be […]
A new series (& my neighbor’s yard)
I’ve got this neighbor. He has the BEST yard. It’s immaculate. Perfectly placed flowers. Sculpted shrubbery. Tasteful Christmas decorations. He probably mows the lawn twice a week. I think he’s retired. His yard is so beautiful. I saw him outside today, walking a pair of dogs. From a distance, you can’t tell them apart. Joy […]
You are not your past.
Eckhart Tolle has a concept I really like called psychological time. Psychological time isn’t fun. That’s when you spend your time asking, “What could I have done differently?” Psychological time is where you make comparisons. You blame. You dwell. You question your behavior and life choices. You rehash old conversations endlessly, coming up with the […]
What’s your primary question?
When I was twenty, I liked a guy who posted really sad lyrics on his Facebook profile. I spent a lot of time wondering about those posts. Another weird song lyric. Who is it about? I was brushing my teeth and thinking about Max’s cryptic Facebook posts. Sitting in class and thinking about his […]
How I Became Athletic (A Love Story)
People talk sometimes about being picked last in gym class, but they’re probably exaggerating. Maybe they were picked second or third to last. But me? I was actually picked last, more times than I would like to admit. And that’s because I was terrible. In fourth grade, we were playing basketball, and I got the ball for the first time ever. I ran down the […]
Happy Birthday
It is my first best friend’s birthday. Elementary school was hard — I was smart and weird, which is not the best combination for fitting in — and when I met my first best friend, it seemed like a gift. There are ridiculous pictures of us dressing up like our American Girl dolls. We were both […]