Consequences of the Starter Marriage and subsequent divorce. No kids, no harm, no foul?
Two Words: Never Assume
Two words of advice, especially if divorcing: Never assume.
Stand By Your… Dad?
We all know that Arnold Schwarzenegger and John Edwards are dads. Has “Stand by your man” taken a new twist on the political stage, and come to be expressed as stand by your Dad? This recent brief by Julie Moos got me to wondering about adversity, and adult (or teenage) children of political families, who […]
Weepy
Good things are happening. Some I’ve written about, and others, I haven’t. I’m trying to process them, to manage them, to make adjustments. Some days I think I’m doing okay. Other days, not so much. Most of the time I have the sensation of treading water, sliding beneath the surface, gasping for air, then forcing […]
The College Countdown
This past weekend, my morning reading brought me to a blog post on the New York Times, written by a high school senior, Michael Campbell, about his college search process. As he counts down to receiving decision letters, everywhere he goes he is asked “Where are you going to college?” And of course, it’s too […]
Send Saint Bernards. Kegs of coffee. Or another pair of hands and eyes.
Reality: I have been writing through continuing sludge these past days – and very quickly. I’m not sure how I”m managing to do it (the “quickly” part helps); I’ve been struggling through an on-again off-again migraine, blurred vision, physical exhaustion. But no matter how I feel, there are tasks that need addressing. And there is […]
Semantic Issues
Pens, pencils, textbooks. The computer. Dirty dishes. It’s all heaped on the edge of the couch and the small ottoman next to his long limbs. He’s twisted up in an old comforter, and out cold. I touch his arm and he opens his eyes. “I don’t need to print this morning,” he murmurs, and turns […]
Ghosts, Goblins, and Ghouls
This week, Gale at Ten Dollar Thoughts wrote about the division of responsibilities among couples – how the lines are drawn when it comes to bringing home the bacon, household chores, childcare, cooking, yard work, and more. As a long-time single parent, my view of domestic duties operates from a different perspective. I’ve raised my […]
The Problem with “Positive Denial” is Denial
Positive attitude is one thing. Denial is something else again…
Mad Men Episode 5: The Chrysanthemum and the Sword
It’s a morality tale, and all about shame. About warfare and its aftermath, honor and its value, private shame according to cultural standards of the times, and personal experiences of shame. In Mad Men‘s Season 4 Episode 5, The Chrysanthemum and the Sword, we feel the weight of the 1960s heavily; World Wart II is […]