Opinion
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The year I read with intention, not perfection
As the new year creeps in, I’ve come to the realization that I’ve actually read far more books than I anticipated. Making myself my own case study did the trick. Setting the bar low for my reading goal propelled me into success. I’ve always hyperfixated on reaching a number because…
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My daughter just wants to walk at graduation. Congress can help.
Fifteen years ago, I noticed something different about my two-year-old daughter, Sammy’s walk. She had a noticeable sway in her hips, a little diva move that seemed more cute than concerning. But when she struggled to keep up in gymnastics and dance, we took her to a physical therapist. After…
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Health costs drive our budget debates
While the government shutdown in Washington and the state budget impasse in Raleigh involve different actors and effects, there is a common denominator: the extent to which debates about public finance are really debates about health care costs.
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The rise of machines … again
For decades, workers have faced the anxiety of being replaced by machines. In the mid-twentieth century, factory automation and mechanized processes sparked widespread concern. Assembly line workers worried that machines could do their jobs faster, more efficiently, and without complaint. Today, that anxiety has returned, but in a new form:…
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Chubby rain
Clouds grew dark and the soft pitter-patter of what the people of Oakville, Washington believed to be rain could be heard tapping against windows and dancing across rooftops. A summer storm was underway, and no one thought much of it… at first.
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Would you live forever?
Occasionally, I will introduce a topic of conversation that most assuredly will be received with questioning looks because I often forget everyone is not as nerdy as me and therefore not as apt to randomly research obscure subjects as myself. For instance, one such topic is the story of the…
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Hauntingly good reads
The chill of autumn was finally in the air, however briefly, and it got me thinking about my favorite spooky books to read. Last year, I wrote about some of my favorite scary movies, so this year, I decided to compile a list of a few of my favorite books…
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Memory lives in the air
Scents carry a significant amount of memories. I’m not just saying this because I believe it — it’s scientifically proven. Smell is the only sense directly linked to our limbic system, where all our memories and emotions are stored. That’s why the smell of crayons immediately takes me back to…
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What’s left when you’re gone?
Recently two of our neighbors passed away. Oddly, in the few years we have lived in Cheraw, SC, we have lost four of our neighbors. My husband and I are not the sort to go out of our way to chat with the neighbors, but we do keep an eye…
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Influence yourself
Like a lot of you, when I’m bored I like to check out social media and see what’s going on in the world.
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What if they attack?
Have your eyes ever scanned the horizon and lighted on a turkey vulture? Have you ever been driving innocently along only for your nose to suddenly be assaulted by the smell of rot, your eyes forced to take in its accompanying pack of roadside vultures? Have you ever considered what…
