After being laid off late Monday afternoon, I arrived home, jotted a short list of things I have wanted to do for months but could not find the time for, then stretched across my couch under a warm blanket and…
What Can We Do?
On a tenth grade history exam, I was asked to list four factors that led to the start of World War I. I remember writing, “The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand,” on the first blank line. It was one of the…
Running What Could Be My Last Marathon
A week before my most recent marathon, the weather app on my phone predicted rain for race day. I grimaced thinking it would be my second time running the Asheville Marathon on Biltmore Estate in bad weather. The first year…
The Art of Honesty on a Job Interview
I did not want to go to another job interview. After two months of answering questions like, “Tell me about a time you almost didn’t meet a deadline, but did,” homelessness seemed a reasonable alternative to another forty-five minutes of…
Reflections on Another Year Working in Retail
Teachers boast about years teaching a certain subject, a certain grade, or for a certain school system. Seniority keeps the kids under control, sometimes, as long as you look older and carry yourself with the no-nonsense authority students secretly crave.…
Fear and Open Doors
On Thursdays I don’t have to be at work until early afternoon. After three morning shifts earlier in the week, I always view the late start as an endless stretch of opportunity. Before getting out of bed I plan all…
Loving Not Running
A month ago I sat across from my twice-former housemate and told her I was thinking about moving again for what would be the fifth time in less than a year. “Are you moving toward or away?” she asked. “Away,”…
Turning the Wheel from Darkness to Light
For the past few months I’ve been rehearsing the newsletter I planned to send out with a belated apology for not writing and an announcement that I wouldn’t be writing here for the foreseeable future. Saturday though something shifted and…
Simple Steps to Make Moving Manageable
After moving four times in six months I’m ready to dig my feet into the dirt and stay grounded for a good long while; however, if I do need to move again it will be much smoother than the start.…
Mowing the Lawn
Growing up with a brother who was four years my elder, I always felt that I balanced myself between traditional “girl” and “boy” activities. I could play quietly with my Barbie dolls or help my brother sumo slam his WWF…