Nostalgia

It is a known fact that a song or piece of music can bring back memories. Many years later, when you listen to a song you loved in high school, you can be instantly transported back to that time — the good and the not-so-good times.

The same thing happens every time I walk into my closet. An item hanging there transports me back to another time — a first date, when my children were babies, a promotion at work, or the loss of a loved one. The loves, losses and joys of my life are in my closet.

Getting…

My crow’s feet were well established when I started publishing my stories on Medium. I found Medium to be fairly intuitive, but a vast platform that definitely takes several weeks, in the beginning, to figure out how to navigate your way around.

Whatever age you are or stage of writing you are at, I know how daunting it feels when you first start and my writing group would like to help you figure out what end is up and where to start.

If you have recently started writing or you’re thinking about writing, please join me and the three other…

You think about your book every day, all night, and each time you take a shower. Now — as you near its completion — you are wondering if you need a book editor.

The simple answer is yes.

They will help you write the best possible book. An editor is the objective, critical voice that will tell you what is missing, what’s wrong, what doesn’t work, and what needs to be taken out or reworked. A good editor will also tell you what works well, which is a confidence booster.

Settle back. I am an editor and I’m here to…

We think we are, but most of the time, we are not listening.

At least we aren’t listening 75% of the time, according to the International Listening Association. Their studies show that we remember about 25-50% of what they said after speaking with someone.

Think of the amount of time you spend speaking to people each day. Even if you are a good listener — better than average — you are still wasting precious time every day.

The most successful people I know are good listeners; they ask questions and are always interested in what others and I have to…

Hallelujah, Jordan Peterson’s 12 Rules for Life is no longer on the New York Times bestseller list. Millions read his book, so I guess they liked his rules. My quibble was the excessive verbiage it took him to convey his advice — mainly for men — who need to be reminded to stand up straight and be good fathers. Plus, I’ve never been a fan of his conservative views.

All this to say, his stepping off the bestseller list opens up a perfect opportunity for my mom-inspired rules for life. While I am not a psychology professor at a top…

The number of teenagers and children watching porn has increased dramatically thanks to the internet. One report cites the average age of first exposure to pornography is 11 years old. Another report says it’s 13.37 years.

97% of girls and 100% of boys have viewed porn by the age of 15. The largest demographic consuming porn is kids 12–17.

This last fact shocked me. Unless your home does not have internet, here is what parents need to know.

The big picture

I share the following background information because initially, I did not know who the players were, how pervasive pornography was among children…

Humor

Hello? 7:15. Wake up. You’ve overslept.

I love starting the day with you, but now I see you expect me to pop in on you more often. You expect me to be there in the afternoon.

I get it. These pandemic afternoons can drag on, and I know you feel like you need a little boost from time to time. I love being there for you, but trust me, too much of me is not good for you.

I know what you are going to say. Yup, I have always been there for you — a quick pick-me-up or a…

I have nothing against fame and fortune, getting the big promotion or snagging a book deal for the magnum opus you’ve been writing for the past five years. At one point in our lives, many of us have probably aspired to at least one of these goals and thought they were a key to our happiness. Some still think they are.

But when pushed a little, most people will agree that what we really want is to live a long, happy and healthy life. The book deal is the icing on the cake.

So we eat healthy foods, drink moderately…