Inspiration
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DEPENDENT ON INDEPENCE
There is a line in the Declaration of Independence that has long intrigued me: “all experience hath shown, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.” It intrigues me because of the truth of it. We do suffer, and… Read more
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WHY DREAM?
Poet Langston Hughes once wrote, “Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.” Where would we be without our dreams? They keep us buoyed with hope, consolidate our memories and help transform our emotional distress into resilience. Without them, what is there to look forward to? Dreams are… Read more
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CURIOSITY BREEDS CREATIVITY
While I was straining to see inside a woodpecker’s nest, this Kingsnake slid right past my left foot and into this dead, tree trunk. Had it been a rattler, my curiosity might have led to a different outcome! I’ve been curious since I was little and asked a stranger, “Are you a gardener? Your hands… Read more
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NAVIGATING IGNORANCE
For a split second, this upside down sign tricked my eye into thinking the speed limit was 52. A split second is all it takes for a catastrophe. Whether it’s running a red light or removing the wrong organ in surgery, we all slip up. Even worse, the more experienced we are at something, the… Read more
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MOTHERS: WHERE WOULD BE WITHOUT THEM?
For two years, I’ve watched a pair of eagles mate and brood. Last year, Jackie waited weeks for her eggs to hatch. When they didn’t, she tried again. This year, three hatched but only two chicks survived. Through inclement weather and attacks by predators, she and Shadow have ceaselessly protected and nurtured them. Soon, the… Read more
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MARK YOUR TERRITORY
Waiting for a restroom in New York City recently, this sign caught my attention. I recognized the man and woman, but thought the middle symbol was a sink with a mirror. Two 20-something women waiting behind me, began talking about the sign. So, I listened. “Oh my God, the woman’s top looks like an electrical outlet. Like you… Read more
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OLD IS NOT OVER. . .
Yesterday, the produce man was explaining to a woman how to tell when mangos are ripe. “The more wrinkled they get, the sweeter they are,” he assured her. “Just like me!” I piped up. They both looked over but neither got it. Interestingly, science says that time does make us kinder. Soon, I’ll be the nicest person on Earth!!… Read more
Adult Aging, Advice, aging, books, Commentary, fiction, Humor, Inspiration, lucy, Philosophy, romance, writing -
INVISIBLE STRINGS
I have had a recurring dream since the age of 5. I’m in a schoolyard with other children and trying to climb up a fence. The teacher is yelling at me to, “Come Down!” With immense mental effort, I begin to rise very slowly. My feet hover just above the teacher’s outstretched hands. It takes… Read more
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JUDGE THE COVER, MISS THE BOOK
Just when I think I’m seeing things clearly, I get thrown a curve ball. As I enter the produce section of Trader Joe’s, there is a man fondling the bananas. Yes, fondling. He eventually pulls off only one. I’m intrigued. His clothes are ill fitting and shabby and the seat of his trousers seems oil… Read more
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LIGHT IT UP
As a therapist, I’ve seen my share of suicides, psychotics, schizophrenics and other tortured souls: Men and women abusing each other or themselves. Couples with unrealistic expectations of their partners. Addicts unable to stop using drugs, eating food or watching porn and a populace that has seemingly lost its’ purpose. Recently, a teenager told me… Read more
AGEFULLY AGING 