On Hanukah in Brooklyn

Lighting candles with the family for the entirety of the last week in December. This blog will resume in 2012. Happiest of holidays to you and yours! [Photo Location: Park Slope, Brooklyn]

On (the) Brevity (of words)

Selected Shorts.

Incredibly grateful
for a healthy holiday
with the people I love.

(Happy holidays!)

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On Asking Google

Worth Every Devastation.

Given that significant portions of people each year are eliminated from short lists of would-be employers, cognizance of our online profiles (facebook, twitter, and – ahem – sacred blog postings) is probably worth a second thought. Googling our names to reveal the online truth may save us some life-changing e-barrassment in the long run, however painful to e-face. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On Unprecedented Anticipation

The Morning After.

Few things elicit the unprecedented anticipation of the alarm-induced excitement like the presence of the tooth fairy...the morning after. Tiny fingers slide beneath the goose-down rainbow-covered pillow searching for evidence that their latest milestone merits magical validation, as adrenaline from their a.m. discovery masks the pain of their teeth that once were. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On Checking It Twice

Literary Must-Reads.

While I don't make a habit of re-reading books-that-changed-my-life, I do have a running list of must-reads, handy at a moment's notice for last-minute birthday gifts and/or novel recommendations upon-request. The one time I did attempt to psychoanalyze my favorite character (circa fall 2007 for a graduate school course on "human development"), I found myself detesting the very things I once adored, only to quickly abandon my task-at-hand in order to uphold his infallible exterior. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On Familial Exclusion

Lessons Learned the Hard Way.

Even the most challenged (familial) relationships occasionally signify moderate acceptance and minuscule love, reminding us that while we're stuck with the hand we're dealt with, poker faces do exist. Grudges are (temporarily) set aside and qualities (partially) redeemed, as common ground is sought after - and found - if only momentarily. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On Fitting In

Childhood Blues.

In addition to the angst associated with (un)expected physical maturation, children have to contend with (un)kind judgments of inexperienced peers, as they struggle to fit in with the people and places that (in adulthood) will (mostly) be forgotten. Teasing is avoided with occasional false fevers, as tactics to retaliate are fantasized from home. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On Books on Tape

One Man's Trash...

After several four hour drives to the Catskill Mountains during which books-on-tape served the sole purpose of background noise, I resigned myself to the limitations of hard copy novels. Distracted by the picturesque window shopping along the Palisades and Route 28, I found myself distracted by the character interactions, missing crucial turning points without the luxury of turning back. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On Shapes & Sizes

Of Infidelity.

The justified flirty g-chat here and borderline-inappropriate email there doth not a faithful relationship maketh. Rather than indulging the misdemeanor that would undoubtedly be unforgivable if roles were reversed, an easier -- and less destructive -- approach would be to confront the issues that lie beneath instead of texting (other people) about them. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On Dating Truths

Friends with the Ex.

Being frhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifiends with your ex within the first zero to 365 days is a necessary crutch to manage the initial loss of the relationship. As each day passes, memories are rehashed, mistakes acknowledged and the ability to stand alone becomes possible. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On Internet Roulette

e-ddiction.

Having recently traded the New York City subway commute for a leisurely 30-minute road trip to my place of employment (in Colorado) each morning, I find myself fighting the addiction to check my email one more time just in case an (un)likely letter of interest shows up (un)expectedly at 7:37 a.m. In a community where checking email, text, & twitter with pathological frequency -- while operating a vehicle -- is neither illegal nor discouraged, I nostalgically recall the forced abandonment imposed by the underground railway system (of the Big Apple) that led to an increase in Angry Bird adventures, i-pod dance parties, and commitments to actual novels. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On e-Bombardment

Dodge-Call.

Some might say the best part about the myriad of e-communication options is the lost responsibility to make eye contact, contribute undivided attention, and respond in a timely (and qualitative) manner to the person on the receiving end. Yet with this welcomed gain in freedom comes the necessity to maintain organization (texts/emails/twitters/chats), use spell-check, and (carefully) REPLY TO ALL only when required. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On MPDG

Manic Pixie Dream Girl.

Like most television-watching female patrons would, I felt innate pride when my raggedy, felt-decorated, Anthropologie cardigan was sported on the adorkable guidance counselor on Glee, and then a few months later on the least-cool granddaughter on Parenthood, especially after debating for way too many minutes/hours/days/months (given their generous return policy) about whether to trade it in for that shiny gold dress I would never wear but needed to have. Because it's easy to get distracted by the authenticity of our favorite characters, comparing the nuances of our own (real-life) wardrobes and haircuts to the endearing, quirky actors on the other sides of our screens, forgetting almost immediately that actual bangs and pixie cuts (almost always) never look as good. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On Repeated Relocations

Oh, The Places We'll Go.

The pros and cons of (eventually) relocating to a bat-free abode come lease re-signing month (next August) brings pangs of cardboard box dread (packing, waiting, moving, unpacking) combined with a not-so-unrealistic-fantasy of anxiety-free summer nights ... once the sun goes down. Yet the nine months (in between) with twelve hundred affordable square feet of shabby chic hardwood floors and mint green vintage wall charm distracts from the three-month bout during which dark corners and shadowy hallways are off limits when the lights are out, and the "mammal net" by the door sits patiently until needed. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On the Crack of Dawn

Morning People.

For those of us awake before or by sunrise -- whether by choice or the coercion of our stubborn, internal clocks -- the perks of those quiet, solitary hours supersede (at times) the lost comforts of long sought after shut-eye. Understood only by the secret club of morning dwellers is the comforting silence blanketing the buzzing responsibilities of the day ahead, as they sip their morning coffee in much appreciated peace. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On the Dark Side of the Moon

Heaven & Hell.

During the latter half of (F)or better or for worse, the upside is hardly discussed. When lights at the end of our tunnels appear eternally faint, and black holes infinitely endless, it only dawns on us in retrospect that (our) perspective (on life) was strikingly lucid, and (half of) our whole uncharacteristically strong, and the people around us unexpectedly appreciated. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On Teetering Tweets

The Bitter End.

Following (facebook) wall postings and daily (twitter) tweets is as time-consuming and addicting as local blog and newspaper updates. The intimate -- and often mundane -- details of other people's lives fill an inexplicable void in our own daily routines, spicing up the time between after-dinner dish-washing and toothbrush preparation with less-than-spicy information. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On Feeling Old(er)

Remembering When (You Can).

A child of the 80's, my (aging) understanding of video games halts abruptly at Super Mario Brothers (the original) as I marvel at the speed with which children (under the age of two) manage i-phone touch screens and the angriest of birds. Pop magazines fill with celebrities I don't recognize, and when I do (eventually remember to) dabble with Justin Bieber youtube videos (56 million views!), I am strangely appalled. And pre-pubescent, scantily-clothed girls merit whispered disdain between horrified (early) thirty-something companions whose wardrobes have (most likely) seen better days...or years. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On 30-Minute Road Trips

Coney Island, Brooklyn (NY).

Growing up in the B.K. meant thirty-minute road trips on hot summer days to the Coney Island amusement park -- with parents, siblings and friends -- to enjoy Nathan's hot dogs, pink cotton candy, and endless hours on the Tea Cup ride. Until our sun-kissed skin required immediate relief in the salty Atlantic, and sand castles resurrected between grainy beach towels and rainbow unbrellas, where crowds admired the ocean view while sneaking peeks at the boardwalk carnies. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On Being Romanced

Dinner Party Conversation.

You (hope you) know it's time to move on when your sparkling recollections of recent romance -- over dinner party conversations with wide-eyed girlfriends -- are brighter than the bubbly served during happy hour, yet barely last through the second course. Frivolity and compliments eventually lose their luster, as reliability and commitment (and humor!) become unwavering prerequisites for the rest of your lives together. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On Thanksgiving Rituals

Family & (Childhood) Friends.

After a multi-year hiatus from childhood best friendships, newly instated Thanksgiving rituals reunite older versions of long ago companions (once attached at the hip), during which memories are ignited in the facial expressions and conversation that flows as effortlessly as once before. Brief moments of imaginary time travel dissipate the implausible lapse in years, as promises to stay in touch intermingle with present-day catch-up. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On Home for the Holidays

Blogger returns to Brooklyn for the
holiday; blog will resume on Monday, November 28th,
2011. Happiest holidays to her readers!

On Guilty Pleasure...

Support Groups.

I used to justify my long list of television dedications to my well-practiced ability to multi-task: full-time job by day, graduate school by night, with gaps in between filled by family, friends, significant other, kick-boxing, book clubs, food coop shifts, and dining out at least four days per week. I'd confidently contribute my two cents - at dinner parties and water cooler conversations - about Don Draper's failed marriage (Mad Men); Chuck and Blaire's latest kiss (Gossip Girl); Meredith's tampering of the Alzheimer's trial (Grey's Anatomy); the recent development of pimp competition (Hung); Claire Danes at age 31 (Homeland; first season's currently airing on Showtime); how if I could have two mom's, Sally Fields would top my list (Brothers & Sisters); how Addison is so darn pretty (Private Practice); how I would choose Coach over Matt Sareson, but only by microscopic points (Friday Night Lights); how Hank Moody is also so darn pretty (Californication) and the incorporation of West Side Story songs keeps me coming back for more (Glee). But now, (living) in a city where the pace of life has slowed, textbooks have been replaced by an official diploma, and casual conversation is often dominated by sports and good weather, I tend to keep my opinions about Ben's upcoming debut (The Bachelor), Nicki's transformation (Big Love), Sookie's troublesome dilemma (True Blood), whether the dragons will dominate the world (Game of Thrones), and Laura Linney's most recent tragedy (The Big C) to myself. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On Hitting & Running

The Cowardly Lion.

I was thirteen when I committed my one and only hit-and-run. It was at the bat mitzvah of my eventual best friend, in a room surrounded by stain glass windows, sometime between the candle-lighting ceremony and dance party. I -- dressed in a black, crushed velvet, knee-length dress -- found myself recklessly playing pool with a bunch of 13-year-old boys I didn't know. As it goes when you're shy/nervous/excited/thirteen, I held the pool stick like a baseball bat to show off, and, all of a sudden, the ball flew through a (non-stain glass) window out of everyone's sight, inches from the face of the cutest boy in the room. Two seconds later, I fled the scene ... in tears ... to my parent's doorstep. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On Empty Nest Syndrome

Our Circle of Life.

In some ways, we all confront our “empty nests” when faced with loss of people, routine, familiarity, and anything that provides our life with its consistent sense of balance. As we falter between conversance and the unacquainted, we rediscover new versions of ourselves – and the variety of worlds within which these selves (newly) exist – while lamenting the loss of what was. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On Intentional Typos

Soulmate Wanted!

In response to a single girlfriend's plea for help, I willingly volunteered my creative services to help "spice up" her online dating profile. On a committed Friday night, we pursued fellow profilers to determine which catchphrases actually caught us, and which ones - alternately - put us to sleep, in the virtual dating world. Five-foot-two became a generous five-foot-four (in heels, of course), and priorities (in life) shifted from family and friendship to embracing the world through the lenses of literary geniuses and parental figures alike. Before parting ways that evening, I gave her a required reading list (from Eggers to Tolstoy) to prepare her for the myriad of dates that would surely come her way, and even agreed to discuss them with her in advance. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On Social Etiquette

Dear Abby...

While most decisions come naturally to us, every once in a while we tap into powers-that-be -- opinionated parents, significant others, roommates, and best friends -- to play devil's advocate, contribute their own two cents, and shed light on an otherwise dimly lit situation. The pros and cons of breaking confidences are weighed against lifelong moral values while semi-objective participants attempt to make complicated situations appear simple. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On Settling for Second Best

When Timing Isn't Everything.

After a consistent series of dead-end dates -- blind dates, online dates, dates-with-your-best-friend, dates-with-the-child-of-your-mother's-cousin's-neighbor -- it's easy to settle for second best. Friday Night Lights with homemade popcorn in place of bar crawls seeking singles half your age, followed by Sunday morning brunch lines passed amidst inside jokes and hand-holding oblivion, seems -- at a certain point -- well worth the trade-off. Until you catch a glimpse of the couple two tables down, radiating the real deal, unconcerned with the compromised couples around them, and to their own pasts, where (very likely) they, too, once admired this very fantasy from afar. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On Admiring Vegetarians

And Marveling the Possibilities.

An avid (carnivorous-eating) household cook, I find myself squeamish around uncooked meat. As a result, my meals typically resemble those of the vegetarian, allowing me to combine my semi-health-conscious palate with my admiration for the herbivore's delight. Until, of course, my brain and stomach cry out for bacon cheeseburgers infused with chicken nuggets and Italian sausage, and I realize my relationship to plant-oriented dietary restrictions is merely an Omnivore's Dilemma. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On Reese's Cups Snail Mail

Going the Distance.

Perhaps part of the tears associated with parting geographical ways (friendships and lovers, alike) is an implied understanding that the relationship will forever be altered. Aside from family obligations to purchase the bi-annual plane tickets, log onto skype on a regular basis, and send snail mail in even the most mundane capacities, (most) relationships really are contingent on proximity and convenience. But whether they weather the storm of time and distance, appreciating them for what they were - when they were - is as significant as letting them go later on. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On Cordial Relationships

Big City Small Talk.

Like most New Yorkers living in New York, I (used to) carefully choose which cordial relationships I planned to indulge in on a regular basis (office doormen - yes; fellow subway riders - no), especially given that around every corner and in not-so-dark shadows were eight million other people with whom to share the sidewalk. What non-New Yorkers characterize as "rudeness," us - natives - describe as "maintenance of privacy." Now, living several states away (in Denver, Colorado), where streets are significantly less crowded and bus drivers check in with their riders (via loud speaker) about the vehicle's temperature quality, I have to remind myself that cordial relationships are a given, privacy is easier to come by, and to look the other way is an act of defiance. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On Mouthfuls of Romance

Making Chit Chat.

Nowadays we spend the majority of our pre-relationship courting stage(s) romancing our potential significant others via the written word - text, chat, email, facebook message - carefully selecting flirtatious one-liners to convey our savvy yet quirky personalities, denying at all costs that the thesaurus had anything to do with it. Until we're face-to-face, scrounging for five-letter words to maintain our facade of consistent witticism while hanging on to - and further scrutinizing - our i-date's ability to equally articulate. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On Connecting the Dots

Advice from an i-Genius.

Since hindsight is twenty-twenty, we can only trust that with each graduate school program we invest in, each relationship we initiate, each road we cross without looking both ways, and each risk we calculate until we take, that the dots we're connecting will eventually take shape. Whether that shape resembles familiarity or otherwise is merely only one component of the leap required to put one foot in front of the other. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On Starting from Scratch

The Learning Curve.

As the learning curve gets curvier with age, our instincts might encourage us to play it safe and run the other way. And yet to live in fear or seclusion would deprive us of life’s best kept secrets. Would-be marathon runners would never cross their finish lines. Black bean discriminators would never taste the savory flavors of all things hummus. And mathematically-wounded grade-school veterans would never realize the satisfaction (and confidence) associated with solving a perfectly harmless quadratic equation. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On Psycho Therapy

The Modern Family.

Although easier to blame our troubles on everyone other than ourselves, a little introspection in the form of a journal entry, therapy session, blog posting, or happy hour cleanse does a mind, body and soul the occasional good. When all else fails, blame the ones who brought us here in the first place – our parents! – with decades of research suggesting this option is more than just an easy way out. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On Moving Out

Jumping Around (Life).

Whether moving around the corner or across the ocean, there is a brief moment of symbolic recognition during which we realize the implications of our latest impending relocation. Memories of first dinner parties, (un)reliable landlords, breakups and make-ups, and impromptu movie nights with friends of friends (who, surprisingly, ended up together, albeit temporarily), remind us of the unforeseeable events of our next (geographical) endeavor, as new paint colors are carefully selected and coffee routes are recalculated...if only to try something new. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On What Comes Next

A True (Love) Story.

If we’ve learned anything from other people’s love stories, it’s that it can happen anytime, anywhere. And yet we tend to fantasize for the narrative that makes us stand out from the rest – the story worthy of retelling our imaginary children and grandchildren, as if the details of a truly unbelievable fairytale would predict what comes next. But the truth is whether it happens at a New Year’s Eve party as the clock strikes midnight or during the office water cooler debate, happily-ever-after does not discriminate. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On Just Divorced

Straying Together.

Still (a couple) years away from walking down the aisle of life-long matrimony, I secretly wonder if this natural postponement will add healthy years to the other end of the commitment called marriage. All too aware that people and relationships evolve over time (and that 50% of marriages end in Divorce), my calculations – which include two households of happily married role models – (hopefully) favor the odds of the longevity of this impending union. And yet, not even probability can safe-proof the inevitably unforeseen developments that tacitly await (any of) us down the road, and so I anticipate marriage to require a combination of trust in instinctual dedication to ride the unanticipated waves with the semi-realistic fantasy that all romantic comedies end happily. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On Visiting Chicago

Blog will resume after much-anticipated real-life Chicago pizza is devoured (and a wedding is attended) in a city not close enough to home. Happy weekend!

On the Catalano Generation

Freaks & Geeks.

We know who we are because we spent hours directing He-man and She-ra re-enactments (behind the secret walls of homemade couch forts) with play-dates (planned on whims during elementary school pick-ups) while sharing crustless, cinnamon toast slices (with the perfect balance of butter and sugar) two hours prior to dialing rotary phones to inquire if [insert play date's name] could stay for dinner. Jump to the mid-90's, during middle school years (formerly known as JHS), where a combination of old and new friends ruthlessly slammed each other (in 'slam books') only to pass much-friendlier, doodle-covered, hand-written notes between classes, in which lunchtime meetings were arranged at designated hallways coordinates, followed (a half hour later, at lunch) by debates about cutting school over pizza slices, turkey sandwiches and pork fried rice (without vegetables, of course) - all only costing one dollar. Our high school era was marked by flared jeans and the advent of brightly colored beepers, through which semi-legible (upside down numbered) messages were exchanged by beep-ees (identifiable only by pre-determined secret codes -- mine was "77," and would soon be incorporated into my very first AOL screenname, Sloan77c). Then in 1996, enter AOL. Eventually gone separate ways, college common rooms divided the 90210 with the Dawson diehards (Dawson 4 Life!), forcing us to make our first deliberate, life-defining decision that would stay with us forever, occasionally requiring a re-insertion of our stance in (recent) adulthood conversations that often include a forever-nostalgic shout out to Angela and Jordan (Catalano). Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On Literary Digressions

Detract-ions or Attract-ions?

Until now, I've always considered footnotes a digression from the path down which I am typically traveling with a focused and determined gaze. To break concentration from the intricate details of the likely tangled relationships of my latest fictional companions,* is to break stride towards the finish lines of other people's lives. Unless, of course, that path leads to hidden divulgences privy only to the dedicated few who take the time to wander down the road less traveled. Enjoy!

*I consider myself a literary devotee, as opposed to historical or non-fiction.

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On Addicted to Running

Healthy Kind O'Drugs.

I've spent my lifetime (thus far) watching athletes from the sidelines: first, soccer players as the (men's team) manager in high school and college; then, NYC marathoners as a local resident en route to Sunday brunch; and, most recently, baseball/soccer/and-even-football pro-athletes as a bleacher-filling tag-along to a City of dedicated sports fans. And then I struck a deal with my not-so-baby brother (surprise snail mail for every week consisting of well-rounded exercise routines) to enlist me as a player rather than a bystander, of which I'm going surprisingly strong (and feeling better than ever!), with my only regret being that we didn't strike this deal when I lived a mile closer to sea level. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On the Wedding Section

Other People's Love Lives.

Fictional or otherwise, it's hard not to feel inspired by the success stories of other people's romantic endeavors, keeping the match.com matchers (dating websites), New York Times Sunday Style Section writers (Wedding Vows), and Hollywood filmmakers (romantic comedies) in business. Hoping for our own chance at stardom, we continuously go back for more, perhaps to remind ourselves that fairy tales can come true and it can happen to you. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On Unconditional Love

The Dark Side of Our Moons.

While friend(ship)s are only moderately less immune to turning blind eyes on the less finer moment's in life, to brave the thick and thin with unflinching stamina and commitment is a prerequisite for family members and life-long partner(ship)s, (hopefully) demonstrated by the once-in-a-life-time pledge to stick around. To persevere is to succeed, and through the chance of one lifetime, the alternatives seem unworthy of consideration. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On the Readers We Write For

Reciprocated or Not.

Since I started this blog nearly a year and a half ago, I am aware of only one actual reader (a fellow writer, in fact) who is so diligently commited to reading - and occasionally 'liking' - my posts on a (literally) daily basis, that I find myself motivated to write, even it's the last thing I want to do. Whether out of (friendship) obligation or otherwise, we share a not-so-tacit understanding that we are each other's most dedicated (literary) fans and, if not in this blog, similar words would likely fill up frequent email exchanges between us, and sometimes still do. And yet for the rest of the Readers For Whom We (both) Write - our family, significant others, acquaintances, and (with moderate ultimacy) actual strangers - knowing they're out there is inspiring enough, for the (unanticipated) virtual comments, (unexpected) references over dinner conversation, and (surprise) gchats from long, lost friends. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On Monkeys in the Middle

Minding Our Own.

Minding our own business(es) can often take the form of semi-probing inquiries, unsolicited opinions, and meddling in muddled situations, with noses that typically belong elsewhere. And yet keeping our extremities to ourselves is as promising as unfavorable annual resolutions, enduring under pressure until we crave to what we can't have. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On Instant Gratification

Postponing Satiation.

Having access to the whole wide world (web) at a moment's notice tends to dull the gratification experienced after postponement of nagging (unanswerable) questions, songs on the tips of (insatiable) tongues, gentlemen bets between (close) friends, and butterfly-inducing (first/second/third) date follow-ups. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On Seeking Self-Awareness

When He/She/(and/You) Are Just Not That Into You.

It’s often through the lens of other people’s problems - fictional or otherwise - that we’re actually able to recognize the tell-tale signs of disaster, disinterest or disdain, in spite of our own glaring sirens urging us to walk (or run!) in the opposite direction. Perhaps we can blame the fogginess of our non-alcoholic goggles, or the misleading brightness of the grass always greener on the other side, or even our overly-simplistic (yet persistent) sense of self-denial, preventing us from acknowledging the consequences that will inevitably require subsequent action, leading us towards the dreaded (but temporary) patch of colorless lawn. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On the Immorality of Immortality

Careful What We Wish For.

We pray to gods we don’t believe in and make promises we can’t keep in hopes of defying the one guarantee in life we all have in common: immortality. And yet the repercussions of such a universe – an eternity of heartbreak, irreparable regrets, and unrequited hopes and dreams - would haunt us throughout our waking lives, as we forgot to smell the morning coffee, marvel over kindnesses of strangers, or take solace in our one chance to get it right. Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]

On Facebook Status Updates

Newsfeed or Snooze-feed?

Having recently relocated across the country – way too far from family and friends - I anticipated being glued to the facebook newsfeed, finding solace in maintaining a constant awareness of other people’s breakfast cereals, engagement announcements, and (for those to whom this applies) not-so-newborn babies’ first words. And yet with an actual job that prohibits me (in a good way) from perusing the list of usual suspects, followed by early-evening Skype dates with my sibling and ‘rents, I find myself questioning what facebook updates really have to offer. Until, of course, infants’ chubby cheeks (of which there are many) entice me to send virtual squeezes, and the idea of actual phone calls (the horror!) drives me to write sweet nothings on east-coast-best-friends’ facebook walls, followed by one-liner emails with links to my most recent Anthropologie purchase (Whatdaya think?!) and inquiries about their latest relationship/graduateschool/weddinguest saga, as if to maintain normalcy even from afar. Snail mail, anyone? Enjoy!

[Blog Reminder: Click on Subtitle Above for Article.]