According to Wikipedia, International Childfree Day was started in 1973 in the United States by the National Alliance for Optional Parenthood, which at the time was the National Organization for Non-Parents. The day was originally Non-Parents' Day. I like the...
Maybe I’m just old. So please respect old people by not looking at your phone!
The open letter technique is a clichéd way to address a challenging topic and when I see a writer begin with "Dear Democratic Party" or "Dear President Trump" I think, "If you really want to address those people, why post your letter here?" But I'm doing it because...
Also: How to make friends, part 1 How to make friends, part 2 How to make friends, part 3 How to maintain a friendship Sometimes -- even if you've been good friends in the past -- it's time to end a friendship. On TV friendships often end because one person stole...
Also: How to make friends, part 1 How to make friends, part 2 How to make friends, part 3 How to end a friendship Have you ever had a friend you felt great about, but then they stopped responding to your texts or other messages? Don't be that person. Ever. Keep...
Also: How to make friends, part 1 How to make friends, part 2 How to maintain a friendship How to end a friendship You've overcome the initial fear of rejection and have the contact info of someone you'd like to make friends with. Here's what I've learned to do...
Also: How to make friends, part 1 How to make friends, part 3 How to maintain a friendship How to end a friendship You've wrestled with your fear of rejection, decided to be braver and less lonely, and are ready to make some new friends. Now do this. 1. Carry...
Americans are bad at making friends. As children we make friends with the kids in our class or whoever lives near us. In college we're friends with any of the thousands of people on our campus. But as grown-ups outside of those friendship-petri-dishes, too many of us...
Yesterday was the 10-year anniversary of the day we celebrated our wedding. My husband and I got married on one day and had the reception six months later. For some reason the 10-year anniversary of the wedding ceremony didn't hit me as hard last March, but today I...
My depressions usually last for months or weeks, and in the past it's been years. Earlier this year I had a depression that lasted for six weeks, but since then I've had two episodes that were much shorter: a week at the end of March, and one day this past weekend....
Inspired by the final blog post of Obesio the Loser, a former online-friend, here's a list of stuff I've noticed over the decades. 1. Sometimes it gets better. Sometimes it doesn't. 2. No two people are exactly alike, but few people are genuinely special. 3. I still...
This is what you can do when I'm so depressed that I sit there like a zombie and stare into space or can't stop crying. This might not apply to anyone else, but it's good for me. 1. Give me your full attention. 2. Say nothing. Just sit there in silence even if it's...
Please don’t culturally appropriate objects and think you’re doing it “respectfully.”
I've suffered from depression for most of my life and have had a couple of major episodes. There have been times when I decided dying would be better than living and while I'm not proud of that, I'm also not ashamed of it. My illness has caused lots of irrational...
When you're in a major depressive episode, get off your dating apps. I'm not talking about having a blue day. I'm talking about the chronic emotional disorder: clinical major depression that warps your view of the world. If you suffer from this and you're single and...