Lo Que Tu Salvavidas Sabe

Cuando tenía 16 años, entrené para ser salvavidas. La lección en nuestra primera clase me sorprendió. En las películas, el rescatista grita “Yo te salvaré” entonces se sumerge y nada frenéticamente hacia la persona ahogándose. Resulta que en rescates reales, solamente te metes al agua como último recurso. En vez de eso, lo mejor que […]

The Big Duh

I was visiting a quaint, historical city with my friend Suzanne, who had just slept over 10 hours that night.  Although she had managed to control the urge to check her Blackberry for most of ourbrief vacation, she made the mistake of sneaking a quick peek.   “Ugh, I’m so exhausted; I hardly got any […]

Valentine’s Day Attitude Adjustment

As Valentine’s Day approaches, many people start to feel pressured or anxious.  Those in couples often resent the huge price mark-ups and the imperative to do something romantic whether they’re in the mood or not.  Single people often feel lonely and depressed, either rushing to make plans or giving excuses of why they don’t really care […]

The “Poor Me” Post-it

Plucky and freckled, my neighbor Lana is a young Irish gal who’s always making wisecracks and is quick to lend a helping hand.  Lana grew up poor, raised by a quirky single mom whom she says dated men “with more criminal charges than teeth.”  To help make ends meet, Lana’s mom would take her daughters dumpster […]

Tribes and Tribulations

As I sat watching the victory parade for the San Francisco Giants, it hit me strongly how tribal we still are.   Today, our tribes may be those with the same skin color, religion, economic level, or favorite sports team, but we still perpetuate the age-old mentality of “it’s my people versus yours.”  We want to […]

Body Shop

I got a notice in the mail the other day that it was time to service my car.  When I called the garage, the office manager asked, “Are you calling to schedule routine service or major maintenance?”  “I have no idea,” I replied.  After looking up my records, she confirmed, “Looks like your car has […]