Wiggly Buttz

Yesterday Favorite Child sent me two links. The first one was a link to a video of a language arts professor who addressed a class of young students all in the Gen Alpha dialect. Despite my initial visceral reaction to the video, I smiled at the nostalgia. I realized I had had a nearly identical reaction when I was about their age and first read Falkner. Before the second one, my boss sent me…

If you know me, you know this story affected me deeply. I only recently learned that that Cricket was a German Wirehaired Pointer, and that made it even harder for me to compartmentalize. I have a GWP, along with a Belgian Malinois and a Malinois German Shepherd mix. I have uttered many a time that the GWP will be the death of me, and this is coming from someone who has been a lifelong dog owner…

I was about five or six years old and I remember being in the main Sears store down in Hackensack NJ with my dad, but I have no idea why we were there. I do remember looking at the Cinderella watches with him, oohing and ahhing over them and talking about princesses and singing animals. It was the budding of a shared love of watches that would continue throughout our lives — not fancy or…

How many times has the response to a compliant, a violation, a betrayal, a slight been “Consider the source”? Most often there’s good will and intention behind the comment, asking of we really should value the input or opinion of the person sending out the slings. It encourages to evaluate and rate the worthiness of the comment or action, and qualify it with the larger breadth of who we…

It hasn’t gone as expected

We’ve been hearing that a lot over the last few days.We all know the context. And we all instantly react. Some with fearSome with concernSome with rejoicingSome with resolve But we should have seen this. Everyone should have. We assumed they were prepared.We assumed they were powerful.We assumed they were ready.We assumed they had a plan. (more…)

This year the holidays were different. They needed to be for a long time, now, but everything changed. Last year we tried, we really did. We …. tried to make new traditionstried to adapt to the new normaltried to move on But it became too chaotic, to monumental, too traumatic. It didn’t work out. (more…)

Today is my Dad’s 87th birthday and while #AllBirthdaysMatter, this one is a big deal because for months we weren’t sure we’d get here.And for the first time in over a year, due to the pandemic and health crises, I took him to church.I didn’t go in, I stayed in the parking lot, just in case the heat or exertion became too much for him and he chose to leave early.I brought a book and in between…

Unexpected Outcomes of Parenting

I just saw a post from a connection on Linkedin that she’s about to start the journey of parenthood and of course it brought up all the amazing, hilarious, awe-inspiring memories, but it also reminded me of the hidden gems we experience and seem to lose sight of. Aside from being awesome, stressful, incredibly fulfilling and exasperating, parenting is also hilarious.

I mean really, I’m a parent,…

Team Player: Did you win? A twisted story about team work. #Leadership #boss #teamplayer #trust #Accountability

“When I was in college I played on the basketball team….”

The familiar story always began with this, and served the teller to illustrate his own version of responsibility and showing up for the team.

“Even the one time I had a fever over 100, I still showed up and played.”

The story was designed to shame us for taking a day off, not working late enough, not answering the phone quickly enough, or…

In The Moment #MindfulnessIsSelfish #TheNextMomentMatters #BeMindfulOfTheNextMoment #IntentionsDontMatter #OneYearUnniversary

In the moment you made a choice.

In that moment you showed me that you’d rather throw away all we had than face any responsibility or accountability for your actions.

In that moment you showed me that our relationship wasn’t worth your effort.

In that moment you showed me your comfort was all that mattered.

In that moment you showed me that you didn’t care.

In that moment you showed me who you’ve…

In The Moment #MindfulnessIsSelfish #TheNextMomentMatters #BeMindfulOfTheNextMoment #IntentionsDontMatter #OneYearUnniversary

In the moment you made a choice.

In that moment you showed me that you’d rather throw away all we had than face any responsibility or accountability for your actions.

In that moment you showed me that our relationship wasn’t worth your effort.

In that moment you showed me your comfort was all that mattered.

In that moment you showed me that you didn’t care.

In that moment you showed me who you’ve…

Self-Confidence and Self-Worth

It was early 1992. I was newly sober, only 28 days.

I had just started a new job taking catalog orders in 12 hour shifts. I had needed a way to stay busy, distracted, and to have an income.

There was a woman there I was fascinated by:

(more…)

He said it. She heard it. She interpreted it just as she was taught to …

“And She Let Herself Go.”

It was an add-on to what made him not like her, not like the marriage anymore.

“She was angry all the time And she let herself go.”

It was true. She was crying all the time. Outside life was hard. It was traumatizing. It was making her sick.

She had asked him for help, for support. He said the…

  We are so distracted in our lives, and we’ve learned to live that way, or rather, to exist. From the glamorizing of being busy, to multitasking, to being on-line, all the time.

It leaves us to exist, not to live.

The practice of Mindfulness strives to refocus us, to bring us back to the moment, to focus on the experience and live in the now.

But … is that healthy?

Sure, sure, of course it is.…

If P then Q

So started my college Philosphy class decades ago. I was already stumped. To that point my life had not followed that path, although as a spectator I had seen it happen.

“But wait, not always, who said so,” I asked. Sideways looks, giggles, and comments about trust issues followed.

“It just is, just trust it.” Ok.

Decades have passed since that class. I’m still a spectator as I wait…

I Thought of You Yesterday ... Read More >> #MovingOn #RemindersOfPastJobs

I thought of you yesterday as I walked through the mall, watching a woman easily slide the 3 Tiffany’s bags on her arm as she strode out of the store, giving a familiar smile to the security guard there.

“Our products are too expensive,” you’d say.

As I watched another woman in the Louboutin store wait hopefully, as the store clerk excitedly told her of the newest style that just made her think…

Harvard, You’re Not Helping

The hallowed halls and reputation of the institution is … no, SHOULD be taking a hit of late. From guest professors, to admissions lawsuits, to continued cases of predictable medical fraud. What is going on?

It’s nothing new. It appears to just be another “norm” being shattered, another expectation of excellence being chipped away piece by piece. It’s depressing and unconscionable.

This week it…