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RAW EMOTIONS: HELLO AND GOODBYE, AIRPORT VS HOSPITAL

Raw emotions, unrehearsed moments of reality, happen in two places: The airport and the hospital. That’s where hello and goodbye emotions live that no one plans for. A hospital visit turns into a gut wrenching ordeal. An airport drop-off turns into the saddest day ever. Is there anything to do to prepare for this? No, […]

MALE FRIENDSHIP? WHO DECIDES YOUR BEST FRIEND FOREVER

For ‘male friendship’ I searched for ‘old pic of best friends.’ What showed up? Images of women friends. If that’s surprising, then you need to know more about male friendship. It’s different than female friendship. How different?

BEER TRAVEL: KEEP IT CLOSE TO HOME

Beer travel is not complicated. Nor should it be. Go someplace interesting, drink a beer. That’s beer travel at the most simple. And you don’t have go far. At least that’s the way I like it, but things do come up.

RECONNECTIVE TISSUES? WHY ARE THEY SO DAMP

Reconnective tissues don’t come in a container. You won’t find them in a printed square box under a ceramic cover on a toilet tank , or in a plain flat rectangle from the Kleenex company. Reconnective tissue can be a handkerchief, or a shirt sleeve. Even a shoulder, someone else’s shoulder, unless you’ve got enough […]

BEST LIFE TO LIVE IS RIGHT NOW, RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE

“Live your best life,” they say, but what’s it really mean? I’m pretty sure ‘they’ don’t mean take a page from the bi-polar play book and create new personalities based on internet scrolling. Mental health is no laughing matter, but what is it about some people who display red flags and call it their best […]

HOLDING GRUDGES TAKES A SPECIAL KIND OF STRENGTH

Holding grudges is a time honored tradition between races, religions, nations, and families. “We don’t like them.” “Why don’t we like them?” “Why would we?” This exchange gets played out between young and old, men and women, brothers and sisters. Eventually holding grudges turns into something completely different than how it started because no one […]

OPTIONAL FRIENDSHIP: YOU CAN’T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT

An optional friendship depends on time and place. But it’s not your time or your place. Tell me if this sounds familiar: “I’ve been so busy I haven’t had time to do anything, but in between my schedule, my plans, my obligations, my interests, my work, my obsessions, my fears, we should get together sometime.” […]

CAN DIFFERENCE MAKERS CHANGE OPINIONS LIKE YOURS

Difference makers show up at the right time and we all celebrate. They show up when you get lost, when you’re confused. When you need help, there they are. But where are they when you’re not lost, not confused? What do they do when you don’t need any help? Don’t worry, they’re still out there […]

PEOPLE PERSON, PEOPLE PEOPLE, AND THE REST OF US

The self-described people person needs back-up. Call it confirmation. Who calls themselves a people person? Isn’t that what others are supposed to say? “Stan is such a people person,” carries more weight than Stan saying it about himself. “Hello, I’m Stan, and I’m a people person?” What old Stan is saying is hold on tight.

FRIENDSHIP FEAR: WHAT DO THEY REALLY WANT?

Friendship fear doesn’t start early. If you’re watched toddlers in daycare, they’re not afraid of new people. It doesn’t start in the neighborhood either. The bigger concern for young kids are older kids pushing them around. Unless you grew up in a bully-free zone, which is a homeschooled only child living under strict rules of […]