Debating what is selfish in my situation — About three weeks ago I collapsed; turns out I had a brain tumor. They did surgery, removed the tumor and now I’m recovering. The tumor was a stage IV brain cancer. It has metastasized. Since mobility is an issue, a friend is looking after my German Shepherd Snowy. I miss…

All too often this seems to be the go-too response — Recently I had an interaction with someone on here who disagrees with my politics. Which, I don’t care about. It’s not like I am the ruler of the world, that’s what cats are for. And yeah, mine has me wrapped around her little paw. Anyway, because I disagreed with her…

Suffering in Silence — I read something in the Dallas Morning News today that had me thinking. A Corporal Mark Force (interesting last name, no?) was arrested on Wednesday while he was off duty. His possible crime? Domestic abuse. …

Did you grow up in a barn? — The other day a friend of mine and I were talking about pet peeves. She went off on people who don’t put their shopping carts into the corrals considerately provided by supermarkets. “I don’t want to get hit by a shopping cart you couldn’t be bothered to walk a few…

They weren’t offended when I called them “she” — I recently made a new friend. Upon first meeting, I suspected this person might be trans, because of the hairstyle, fashion choices, etc. But I didn’t ask. I focused on getting to know them as an individual. Ultimately this is how meaningful relationships are forged — not between tribes but…

Challenging the Inhumanity of Jail — One of my friends is 82 years old. She is a widow. Today she shared an experience she had 40 years ago, in 1982. One of her neighbors was taken to jail for putting her husband in the hospital. Except, it wasn’t that simple. Her husband abused her. Regularly. One…

Even if you win, you often lose — The first known lottery was held in ancient China, during the Han Dynasty, around 200 B.C. The lotteries consisted of keno slips and were used to finance projects such as building the Great Wall of China. The first European lotteries were held at dinner parties in the Roman Empire. Guests…

Don’t let yourself be manipulated — When I was a kid, I didn’t have many friends. I was also a people pleaser. Connection? The reasons were not that complex. I was the oldest child and the girl in an Indian household. Culturally, I was driven to make sure everyone was happy. Plus that is my natural…

Thinking about courage and honor — I was reading about June Wandrey Mann today. She was a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Nurses Corps, from Wautoma, Wisconsin. She served during WWII in Africa, Sicily, Italy, France, and Germany. During that time, she won eight battle stars. …