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MEDICAL MARIJUANA: 420 FROM THE OTHER SIDE

April 20, 2021 by

Medical marijuana sounded like a clever joke the first time I’d heard of it. Medical? Like legal? Did a smart hippie find a loophole to get high without getting arrested? What’s next, I figured, the return of cocaine to Coca-cola? Extra morphine in cough syrup? The benefits of medical marijuana dawned on me after a […]

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WHY WRITERS BELIEVE IN READERS? IT TAKES BOTH

March 21, 2021 by

Writers believe the time they spend on their work is worthwhile. Opinions from others vary. Of course writers believe, but is their opinion the one that matters? After days and years of focus on a project, they’d better believe in their work. One sage said to choose a writing topic you love, because you’ll eventually […]

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CANCER CALL: A HEALTH CHALLENGE REMINDER

November 25, 2020 by

A cancer call is never the wrong number. It’s a confirmation of all the testing you’ve already gone through. The doctors who make cancer calls don’t ask for your name and DOB on the phone. They know it’s you. If someone else answers the phone, they know it’s for you, and you’ve got to take […]

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SHINE ON LIKE YOU MEAN IT

September 23, 2020 by

Compounding the words Shine and On sounds like a cheerleader cheer when you say it out loud. Give it a try like this: “Shine on.” For the full power, try it like this:

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NEEDY READERS? GIVE THEM WHAT THEY WANT

July 15, 2020 by

What do needy readers want? Tastes change, fads come and go, but the top selling book of all time is pretty clear. Across all platforms one book stands higher than all the rest. Do you need a hint? Think ‘Tale of Two Cities.’ Wait, that’s the title. Damn. The big question: Is it worthy? What […]

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MEDICAL ADVICE TO IGNORE IN AN EMERGENCY

June 11, 2020 by

Medical advice is wasted on hypochondriacs. The problems they bring to an appointment change by the end. “It hurts when I do this,” turns into, “It hurts when I don’t do that. But now it’s something else.” Sound stressful? It is. It’s always something else. How do I know? Please continue.

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HOPE IN ONE HAND, AND IT’S ENOUGH

April 15, 2020 by

Art is defined by hope. As in, “I hope people like my work.” Turns out people like Grant Wood’s American Gothic just fine.

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CANCER MEMORIES: UNEXPECTED MOMENTS OF LOVE AND KINDNESS

January 13, 2020 by

I made a list of cancer memories to use in my memoir. Not all of them made the cut. A book needs the big stuff; these are the smaller cancer memories:

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CHEMO: NOTHING FUNNY ABOUT IT, EXCEPT …

October 16, 2019 by

My wife drove me to my first chemo, one of three on the schedule, twenty one days apart. It was part of the program, mixed in with thirty five hits of radiation, for HPV16 neck cancer. It was something I dreaded. Why? The name chemo even sounds bad.

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OLD MAN TALKING ELDER HEALTH IN GYM

August 26, 2019 by

An old man, older than me, saddled up on the stationary bike next to mine. I’ve skipped the bike a while but now training for the prospects of pedaling around Paris. Together, the old man and I were biking Beaverton from 24Hr Fitness. My usual question if someone older looks chatty is, “How are things […]

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