is the illusion that it has taken place. – George Bernard Shaw
08
Aug 12
On Communication
The single biggest problem with communication
is the illusion that it has taken place. – George Bernard Shaw
is the illusion that it has taken place. – George Bernard Shaw
04
Aug 12
On Old Wounds and Changing Bandages
“Can I see you when I get out that way?”
She replied to his email – the one she shouldn’t have opened – with, “As friends.”
He didn’t like that answer. (Do guys ever like that answer?)
He waited to call, hoping she’d make the first move.
She didn’t. Continue reading →
26
Jul 12
Finish Each Day
Finish each day and be done with it.
You have done what you could.
Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in;
forget them as soon as you can.
Tomorrow is a new day.
You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit
to be encumbered with your old nonsense.
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
You have done what you could.
Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in;
forget them as soon as you can.
Tomorrow is a new day.
You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit
to be encumbered with your old nonsense.
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
24
Jul 12
Notes From a Summer Getaway
You may be thinking that you need a prescription, but it could be that you need to drive a road that lazily winds around a mountain lake. Roll the windows down and sing to the Doobie Brothers.*
Kids don’t need DVD players or iPads if one of ’em has a fishing pole, the other has a floaty mattress for playing in the lake and they both have nets for catching minnows.
Moms don’t need laptops, internet connection or a day at the spa if they have a good friend to chat with and reservations for dinner.
The withdrawals from that lack of internet connection last about four hours. Fill the void with Cheetos and red wine. It’ll pass. Continue reading →
13
Jul 12
Your Narcissism Handbook
This isn’t a bullet-point list of the ten proven steps you can take – tonight – to please your narcissist.
This isn’t the CliffsNotes Guide to convincing your counselor of your spouse’s NPD.
This isn’t the ultimate guide to finding an attorney who believes you when you try to convince her that your spouse’s charm is a ruse, and that he’ll take you to the cleaners, and trample his own kids on the way to the bank.
This isn’t the long-awaited recipe for a homeopathic remedy that you slip into your wife’s coffee in the morning in hopes she’ll come home, wrap you in her arms, apologize for treating you poorly, and promise to make you the priority you deserve to be.
This isn’t the iPhone app that supplies the snarky comebacks you wish you were quick enough to come up with to say to the narcissist in the next cubicle. Continue reading →
09
Jul 12
Refresher Course in Backbone Building
“Don’t give me that condescending load of crap.”
That was his response when I asked if he would please feed Will dinner instead of a milkshake on their outdoor adventure days.
He said, “He told me he wasn’t hungry when I asked if he’d rather have dinner or a milkshake.”
What kid wouldn’t choose a milkshake over dinner?
I couldn’t leave it alone. Continue reading →
05
Jul 12
Scream It With Me
From the nearest hilltop.
From a virtual mountain, if that’s your thing.
From the top floor of your apartment building.
From your desk at work with your mute button on.
From your shower.
With fists clenched and head thrown back…
“I am a good person.
I have a kind heart.
I have always tried to do my best.
I know I am responsible for where I have ended up.
Must I pay for my mistakes for the rest of my life?!
May I be done now?”
Straighten your blouse, brush your bangs to the side, glance around to see if anyone is staring and get back on your path.
*The desperate screams of a woman who fears she’ll have to deal with her narcissistic ex-husband for the rest of her life.
03
Jul 12
When He Cries
Beware of men who cry.It’s true that men who cry are sensitive to and in touch with feelings,
but the only feelings they tend to be sensitive to and in touch with
are their own. – Nora Ephron
Beware the man who, when you tell him you’re leaving your husband, starts to cry and lament the fact that his wife left him five years ago.
Beware the man who, when surrounded by the beauty of his own children, sheds “happy” tears about a stranger’s five year old daughter who sat on his lap and kissed his cheek.
Embrace the man who gazes at you and tears up because he knows his life is blessed by your presence; and he makes it his mission to never let you feel taken for granted.
30
Jun 12
Do You Know Your Tolerance Level?
She brings him a mug of coffee and says, “How’d you sleep?”
He says, “I slept great. How ’bout you?”
She says, “How can you sleep with that incessant dripping coming from the bathroom sink?”
He says, “That bugs you? I can hear it but I just roll over and go back to sleep.”
__________ Continue reading →
28
Jun 12
Laughter Reveals Character
If you wish to glimpse inside a human soul and get to know a man,
don’t bother analyzing his ways of being silent, of talking, of weeping,
of seeing how much he is moved by noble ideas;
you will get better results if you just watch him laugh.
If he laughs well, he’s a good man. – Fyodor Dostoyevsky
don’t bother analyzing his ways of being silent, of talking, of weeping,
of seeing how much he is moved by noble ideas;
you will get better results if you just watch him laugh.
If he laughs well, he’s a good man. – Fyodor Dostoyevsky
25
Jun 12
On Building Character
It was her job to load the splitter, catch the split logs and pass them to the stacker. They developed a rhythm as they worked, stopping only to drink water or wipe sweaty brows. They enjoyed a sense of accomplishment, congratulating each other as the stack grew. The hard work earned them the beers they would enjoy on the deck that afternoon.
Logs with knots were tricky for the splitter. She’d learned that when a log doesn’t split all the way because of a knot, she could lift the log over her head and slam it down on the ground with all her might. The force would split the log in two.
Sometimes.
That trick didn’t always work.
Some logs were tougher than others. Continue reading →
21
Jun 12
Say It With Me
Half of the troubles of this life
can be traced to saying yes too quickly
and not saying no soon enough. – Josh Billings What is a rebel? A *woman* who says no. – Albert Camus
can be traced to saying yes too quickly
and not saying no soon enough. – Josh Billings What is a rebel? A *woman* who says no. – Albert Camus
