Depression, Part 6,000
It takes me down. It takes me right down and I have no idea what the trigger was. What's the reason for this bleak mood? Maybe there isn't any. I've fallen and I can't get up. Even sugar won't be my friend these days. It's stopped helping, leaving me locked in an...
Loosening the Grip of Food Over Me
Previous post on weight & health: Stranger Here: a memoir on weight loss surgery I'm still struggling to accept my new body, the one I've grown into since I stopped my lifelong punishment of starving and binge-ing. After years of forcing myself to stay a size...
Who Would Mourn the Human Race?
Original photo by Bob Martin, altered by me. I often consider the end of the human race (as I'm sure we all do). What would happen to the earth? What animals would care? Wouldn't all flora and fauna be immeasurably better off without us around to screw things up? But...
Used to be “American Association of Retired Persons”
A friend described looking at this photo as feeling like "a kick in the stomach!" How about it Gen X? Is this disturbing or what?
Appropriate / Inappropriate Pain
I envy those whose pain is socially appropriate. If someone's walking into walls, red-eyed and unable to concentrate, we excuse that if we know her dad just died or she's going through a divorce. We also give people some slack if we know they're having a bad day with...
I’m a Failure – y Que?
Failure gets such bad press, but it really doesn't deserve it. Who cares if you fail? It doesn't mean your life is over (unless your failure causes your death). I'm a big failure and I'll tell you all about it. My first failure was leaving Cornell University in 1993...
Top Regrets of the Dying
I'm proud to be a member of AARP, which I've been looking forward to for years. Now I really feel grown up. The AARP newsletters sometimes have very intriguing articles and right now I'm focused on Bronnie Ware's Top Regrets of the Dying, first posted in February...
It Is Lifted!
Easter Sunday usually depresses me, but last year, for the first time in my life, it didn't. Why? Our dog Ozzie seemed to make the difference. Between doing some volunteer work and taking care of our new dog, I made it to the end of Easter 2012 with no feelings of...
Depression Can Look Just Plain Mean
Lindy West's Ladies Be Moody: The Sad Sack Women of Anti-Depressant Commercials makes a few excellent points, but this is my favorite: depression does not only manifest as low-energy sadness that saps you of your will to get out of bed. That's one way it can...
Stranger Here: A memoir on Weight Loss Surgery
Previous post on weight & health: Someone asked me about being pregnant Jen Larsen gives a stunningly honest account of her weight loss through surgery in Stranger Here: How Weight-Loss Surgery Transformed My Body and Messed with My Head. With a publication...
Someone Asked Me about Being Pregnant
Previous post on weight & health: Doctor's response to my weight gain On Friday morning a co-worker asked when I was due. Even with my prosopagnosia and a staff of over 500, I felt sure the two of us had never properly met because I pretty much have every...
EFT for Pet Problem Behaviors
My Fellow Dog Owners (or "Doggie Moms" if you prefer, whatever) - Here's an impressive way to connect with your dog, whether or not you have actual issues with him/her. Emotional Freedom Technique uses the meridians and energy points of Chinese medicine to release...