Wordsmatter

Words matter or word smatter? You decide.

The Story

Did I ever tell you about the time my brother gave his car away? I mean, technically someone stole it, but honestly, he might as well have given it away. Wait till you hear this… For more than thirty years, that was the opener to my best party story. I pulled out The...

I haven’t forgotten

Live in peace. React in love. Help whenever you can. Let’s use 9/11 to make us better. We can’t afford to sacrifice our humanity for the sake of our existence. 

Collateral damage

[Warning: this post is way more polite than it deserves to be.] What a mess. What an absolute effing mess. I was horrified when I first heard what had happened in Uvalde. All those children! The horror continued to renew itself as details of the situation emerged,...

Regifting

At every life event, good or bad, my people show up. It may not be everyone each time and it may not look exactly as I imagined, but someone is there. In fact, it's usually a whole lot of people. Some are family, some are friends, but at this point, those lines are...

The power of belief

Several weeks ago I undertook a writing project outside my comfort zone. Truthfully, it didn't amount to much, but it involved my own content--not something I had written on behalf of someone else--and it made me feel vulnerable. I was nervous and unsure, but...

The fork in the road

My son just spent weeks, months even, agonizing over his college choice. Even after he finally came to a decision, he still agonized. Had he made the right decision? When I checked in with him the next day (ready to cancel my deposit and put it on the other school if...

Land of the free

The internet is blowing up with Colin Kaepernick’s recent decision to remain seated during the playing of the national anthem. What a jerk, people say. If he doesn’t like it here, he should leave, they say. Well, my friends, that same flag you’re protecting—and the...

Burn, baby, burn

Every day (mostly), I write a quote on the dry erase board that hangs on the door to my office. Some are inspirational, some are motivational, some are snarky, and some are just downright funny. Each one of them speaks to me in its own way, and some of them stick with...

When I grow up

What do you want to be when you grow up? How many times were you asked that question as a child? How many times have you asked it? Do you know the answer? It's a tough question, mostly because we feel limited by the labels in some mythic index of occupations. Besides...

Never forget

Yesterday I left my family's Thanksgiving festivities feeling full, not only of food, but also--and especially--of love and warmth and goodwill. Compared to most of the world, I have a lot. My modest house might need a good cleaning, but it keeps me safe from the...

Giving back

Remember that big trophy case in your high school? You know the one; it houses all the awards from sports and band and club competitions. It's filled with statuettes and plaques and medals and team photos, and you always stop to look at it when you go back for a...

Take care

When I was very small, my great-great aunt went to live with my grandmother. Aunt Gladys (unconventionally pronounced  GLAY-dus) would follow my brother and me around and we didn't mind a bit because she never hesitated to join our games. She played with us...

Opting out(side)

It's no secret that the mere thought of Black Friday sends shudders down my spine. It's also no secret that I love good marketing--which, thronging hordes of turkey-belching people aside, is a big part of my aversion to this crazy day. (Read why HERE.) I stoically...

Youthful ideals

A thought struck me early this morning, and I haven't been able to let it go. As a rule (there are always exceptions), people's aspirations tend to diminish with age, and I don't think it's because they've accomplished everything on their list. Seriously, if you're...

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