Conversations About Starbucks
These services, in addition to coffee shops like Starbucks and so many others, are the livelihood for a whole segment of the employee population. These employees may be working part-time, or really hustling with two or three or more jobs to make ends meet, working for tips plus minimum wage.
Burn the Bridge
You could be the fortunate man of my dreams. Really. Let me explain. Maybe I’m too trusting; perhaps I’m what some would call naïve. If a man acts a certain way, tells me certain things and in general, leads me to believe that he’s genuinely taken with me, I believe him. I’m also embarrassed to […]
e84 Challenge – The Effort of Trying
Nothing exemplifies the futility of trying more than the myth of King Sisyphus. Sisyphus was doomed to push a boulder up the hill only to have it roll back down, day after day. The activity of “trying” is a pretense that masks failure. To try is to neither do, nor not do. If I ask […]
e84 Challenge – Taking the Stairs
The Empire State Building has 1,578 stairs. One of these days I’ll be in New York City and make that climb. In the meantime, I’ll keep training. My office building has six floors and a lovely staircase with polished hardwood steps. Artwork hangs on each landing where the staircase turns between floors. It’s old drawings […]
e84 Challenge – All Things Optimistic
I’m an optimist. Isn’t everyone? I have yet to meet a person who doesn’t describe themselves as an optimist. And yet, I find myself operating as a “fair weather” optimist … positive about those areas where I feel confident. Even if I try to think positive about the rest of it, my behavior shows my […]
e84 Challenge – Know It All
Is there anything left to learn? Maybe it’s because we look forward to finishing school, whether as a child – picturing a glorious day without teachers and classrooms – or even powering through college semesters, waiting for graduation. Oh, there’s the internet, the evening news, and for some, a daily newspaper delivered to the front […]
Taking the Plunge
As part of identifying the steps I needed to take to further my writing, I’d added “writers’ conference” to the list. My writing group mentor read my manuscript. Check. I’d made changes based on her feedback. Check. My ongoing weekly critique group liked what they heard from me each week and also offered suggestions and […]
e84 Challenge – Make It Count
Take my day job out of the equation. I’m fascinated by the idea of an immersion novel, a/k/a “stunt novel” – taking on a challenge for a period of time and writing about it. I know – that’s what I’ve been doing with my e84 challenge for the last 84+ days. What would I do […]
e84 Challenge – Today is a Gift
I’m trying to remember the last time I traveled with another woman, sans my son. My son has been my traveling companion for many years, or I’ve journeyed with a boyfriend/husband … or alone. I’m rooming with my friend, Lori, a fellow writer and friend from the weekly writers critique group. It’s just a different […]
e84 Challenge – World Traveler
Tomorrow at this time I will have already said good-bye to my son. I’ll be back in the car with Heather, my fellow Scout mom, and the boys will have been absorbed by the group of other excited Scouts on their way to Sweden. This trip has been in the works for the past year, […]