This is a memory from a long-ago visit to Positano, Italy, on the Amalfi Coast. I was there again in 2019, but didn’t get to spend much time in this lovely cliffside village. When I traveled to Positano at age 22, I was certain it was the most beautiful place in the entire world. It…
Tag: life
Combating the Mean Voice in My Head
Dear Mean Voice, I didn’t realize for a long time that you were as active a character in my brain as you are. You were much better then at throwing in a subtle negative comment only occasionally. But now you’ve moved to a new level. You are relentless about tossing in your opinion, which is…
“Anything Else,” Another Song Collaboration that Brother Sam and I Shared
Here is the link to our song, “Anything Else.” Here is the other song that Sam and I collaborated on. I came up with the hook for the song and Sam and I worked together on the lyrics. He then took the lyrics and created music for the song. From a writer’s point of view,…
25 Things I’ve Learned about Life
I wrote this a while ago, but believe it’s worthy of reposting. If you’re reading it, then it’s because you are a friend or a part of my family. Whatever the case, consider this written for you. To my daughters, their partners, my grandkids, my nieces and nephews, brother, cousins, and anyone else in my…
Poem: I Have Lost the Spring in My Step
I have lost the spring in my stepMy lower back hurts, and it’s no funI think I need to move moreSitting in a chair for hours Hunched over a computer Could be the culprit An occupational hazardFor this writer and writing teacherCurrently, I am standing and typingSeeing if this homemade standing deskMight ease the sharp…
A Letter To Luna about Her Mom
I wrote this way back in 2013, just after Luna was born, but it seems fitting to post it again since Sarah’s birthday was yesterday. Luna (now 12) reads my blog occasionally, so she might be interested in a letter I wrote to her when she was 5 weeks and 6 days old. Not to…
Flash Fiction: Edith’s Tear
This is a story I wrote a while back. I thought I would share it tonight because I like the main character’s voice, and the ending made me smile. Dad gives me a wink, like we are pals or something. We’re sitting in our kitchen having eggs and waffles on a Sunday morning. I’m not…
A Favorite Photo of My Dad at the Sale Barn
Here is one of my favorite pictures of my dad. He is the man holding the microphone, wearing black “Barry Goldwater” glasses. He is above the ring where livestock came in one at a time and were auctioned off to local ranchers and major meat-packing companies, like Hormel or Jimmy Dean. I don’t know the…
What Love Looks Like With a Little Help from Viktor Frankl
The best lesson I’ve learned about love is this: the greatest gift I can offer another person is to stop whatever I’m doing, listen — really listen — to what they’re saying, and then make the effort to see the world through their eyes. It sounds simple enough, but it’s not, especially when the other…
For My Late Mom, Whose Birthday is Tomorrow
The year is 1972, the month is February, and this is three days before my father would die from lung cancer. This was our last family photo, commemorating the last time I saw my dad alive since I left later that day to return to Austin, where I was a freshman at the University of…
20 Minutes a Day 