Sometimes when life feels disorderly I go on a cleaning tear. Like a mad maid I dash around eliminating piles and tackling trash and stuffing things in boxes until I’m spent. It can be therapeutic, but it can also be a way of avoiding what I really need to be doing. A more helpful alternativeContinue reading “Put one thing in order regularly.”
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Remember to have fun
Remember to have fun. It’s one of the things we tell our children when we see them getting carried away, when an innocent game unravels into a jealous tousle with a sibling — the toy breaks, the smiles fade, the aggression, frustration, tears ensue. It’s not just an admonishment for children though. It should beContinue reading “Remember to have fun”
Taking the Smooth Handle
Why do we insist on doing things the hard way? A few years ago I remember a reckless fly by night moving operation in which my friend recruited me and a handful of other brash boneheads to help move a baby grand with only a midget dolly, a couple moving blankets, and our indomitable testosterone.Continue reading “Taking the Smooth Handle”
‘I would only like money.’
My childhood birthday letter The frankness of youth. The unminced words of kids. The audacious telling it how it is. Behind the polish of professionalism and the mask of maturity, we’re still kids deep down — so let me put this on full display, because heck, it’s Friday and nothing says Friday like a glimpseContinue reading “‘I would only like money.’”
One Shot At A Time
What a writer gleans from the great game of golf I am not by any means a golf aficionado, a golf junkie, or even an avid amateur. For a long time when golf appeared on the tv I quickly changed the channel, afraid of being bored to death. The few clubs I’ve swung in myContinue reading “One Shot At A Time”
What Happens To All That Time We Save?
Sometimes the better way is not the faster way or the easier way. This is a lesson I’m learning, and a hard one. As a child of my culture I have a sweet tooth for convenience. I like tricks. Gimmicks get me. Subscriptions? Sure, lots of those. These days there’s so many means available forContinue reading “What Happens To All That Time We Save?”
Undercooked, Overbooked, Head on a Swivel?
Try this tip from design. Years ago I had a job that gave me a good education in print production. I learned a lot about saddle stitching, ink color, line spacing, kerning, typeface — all these intimate design elements that, when properly arranged on a page, make the page a pleasure to read. One ideaContinue reading “Undercooked, Overbooked, Head on a Swivel?”
Note to Self: Be More Romantic
At the outset of a long writing project I make a big pile of notes on index cards. On them are written character names, descriptions, plot ideas, chunks of unreadable chicken scratch, etc. And as I go along, or if I get stuck in the process, I often consult this pile for a bit ofContinue reading “Note to Self: Be More Romantic”
Wanna Make a Change?
The super simple secret we overlook. At the end of last year I felt stuck and restless with my work. There were too many plans on the table. Too many deadlines. Unrealistic deadlines. Projects in knots. I was doing all the things but I felt like an overmilked cow. So I tried something. I tookContinue reading “Wanna Make a Change?”
Eating Out of an Ashcan
A dirty truth about being a Dad. There is that saying about mothers having eyes in the back of their head. I think that’s probably true. I don’t know about most fathers, but this one is more like a cyclops. I miss things in front of my nose. I have not my wife’s supernatural abilityContinue reading “Eating Out of an Ashcan”
show & tell 