Are Elections Effective?

Yes, I do vote in political elections, and when I truly believe in a candidate, I even participate in campaigns. Let’s get that out of the way. I’m voting in the upcoming national and local elections (May 12), and I’m actively endorsing my favorite candidates as well. Even though I’m soured by the last presidentialContinue reading “Are Elections Effective?”

Early Bird Syndrome

I’m the lone morning person in a family of night owls. This makes mornings both lonely and precious. I kind of want to share the fresh new day with a loved one, but at the same time, I’m the mother of very demanding kids, so mornings are time for myself. About 15 minutes anyway. IContinue reading “Early Bird Syndrome”

Risk-averse, Regret-prone

Let’s start by saying that I’m a well of regret. When I was so much younger and believed that the world was my oyster, I told my mom that I wasn’t going to waste my time on regret. I thought that the poor choice was worth the wisdom gained and that the bad experience addedContinue reading “Risk-averse, Regret-prone”

A Teacher’s Regret

I have a lot of guilt about a student I had almost twenty years ago. I was teaching Spanish at an international school, and one of my students was a Swiss boy whom we’ll call Friedrich (not his actual name) henceforth. Upon meeting him, I immediately clocked him as trouble. I noticed that he hadContinue reading “A Teacher’s Regret”

Natterings of a Nervous Nellie

I’ve always been a worrywart. I know it’s a sin, and I’m making a conscious effort to fight the impulse. I, however, am a mother. When I was pregnant with my first child, I had a moment of panic. I was watching a lot of true crime documentaries, plus the news, and I was suddenlyContinue reading “Natterings of a Nervous Nellie”

A Break from Stress

Two of my children are on the autism spectrum. They’re both sensory seekers (and avoiders simultaneously) so they both do things that have neurotypicals going, “What the -! Why?” One of them is a very smart eloper, so there’s that too. Suffice it to say that each day presents some very hairy challenges for me.Continue reading “A Break from Stress”

Snap out of the SocMed Trance

I use social media in all the unhealthy ways. I waste time just idly scrolling. I mildly stalk people. It’s usually just a one-time thing, like “Will I find that friend I made in camp back in 1989 here?” and if I do, I snoop all I can before I remember that I actually haveContinue reading “Snap out of the SocMed Trance”

Fishing for Friends

It was actually two strangers: a 70 something-year-old man from Chile and a 14-year-old local (Santander) boy. I was there for the summer, enrolled at the Universidad de Cantabria to further my acquaintance with the Spanish language and culture. The year was 2004, a lifetime ago. I was 27 years old, about to start aContinue reading “Fishing for Friends”

Life Lessons from High School

Oh, the answer would be two-fold. There are things I learned academically, and there are things I picked up just being in high school. From my classes, I learned a lot of things. I only managed to hold on to a very small percent of them, but I did well in tests and got goodContinue reading “Life Lessons from High School”

Making Exercises Tolerable (Especially in the Summer)

I’m not a fan of workouts, but if I must do them, I prefer it in cooler weather. It’s batty to work your way up to a sweat when you already feel like you’re drowning in the humid air. Right now, we’re right smack in the middle of a tropical summer. It’s so oppressive. I’mContinue reading “Making Exercises Tolerable (Especially in the Summer)”