My husband, Mark, momentarily lost his keys this morning. Except, it wasn’t just a moment—it was about five minutes. He planned to load several items into the car, return to the house to kiss me goodbye, and then leave. Except, he was stuck on Step 1, loading items into the car. We have other car …
I spent the last four days in a fiction writing workshop. If I take a narrow perspective, I “failed” with my writing. (It was a fantasy caper workshop with two genres: second-world fantasy and caper.) My failure? I did not include nearly enough setting in my writing. That’s where the writer explains where we are—and …
How Do You React When a Learning Experience Clarifies How Far You Still Have To Go Read More »
Today is a maintenance day at Chez Rothman. Our heating system has an error code, and we’re upgrading our wifi. So people are stomping around—and I’m very happy about that. What we’re doing today is “extra” maintenance—updating and upgrading. We do normal maintenance all the time. The cleaning people make our house sparkle once a …
How Do You Manage to Notice When You Need Updates or Upgrades? Read More »
Yesterday was “Giving Tuesday” in the United States. If we have the means to give, charities ask us for donations. (One of my favorite charities is the Spastic Paraplegia Foundation. That’s their link to Giving Tuesday, which lasts for ten days. Even I can count, and that’s more than one day.) That’s all about your …
The US is voting next week, for what we call the “midterms.” We don’t change the entire government every four years—we stagger terms for each representative, senator, and governor. Much of the time, the voters want change. That means the President’s party tends to lose seats in the midterms. I also want change. But I’m …
Do You Plan to Vote for the Short or the Long Term? Read More »
When the pandemic started, I was fine—better than fine—staying home. I felt safe and secure. Mark did the grocery shopping and cooking, and we spent a ton of time together. All good stuff. I was happy with limited horizons. However, after I received my first booster, I wanted to go out—and I was still concerned. …
When Do You Realize It’s Time to Expand Your Horizons? Read More »
It’s the start of the Days of Awe, the time from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur, where Jews introspect. We reflect on our lives last year and consider how we might live better next year. We pray that God writes our names and then seals us in the book of life. That’s all about change. …
The news in the US is all about Queen Elizabeth’s death last week. I have many feelings all at the same time: Glad that I know because I like to know about world events. Sympathy and empathy for her children and grandchildren. Very few deaths are easy or good for the remaining family. Empathy with …
How Can We Reconcile a Difference of Philosophy with Respect for People? Read More »
I love shortcuts—especially if I’m not supposed to use them. Why can’t I avoid right-angle paths and use the hypotenuse instead? That saves me some time. Can I make my exercise easier? I can—and I too often lose the value of the exercise. So shortcuts aren’t always good or always bad. The context matters. Shortcuts …
What Do You Gain or Lose with Shortcuts, Rules, and Laws? Read More »
When we were kids, we outgrew our clothing, sometimes at an alarming rate. (I vividly remember one summer when my older daughter needed a new pair of sneakers every three weeks.) Later, as we changed from childhood to our teenage years, we outgrew our interests. Some of us have outgrown jobs and found new jobs. …
When Did You Last Outgrow a Friend—Which Allowed You to Create Your Better Life? Read More »