Goals

In a recent blog post, Patrick Ross mentioned his enthusiasm for setting goals rather than making New Years Resolutions, which none of us seem to keep. He started with a vision statement – what he enjoys doing and where he’d like to be in five years, which Ross soon...

Games

I’m having a hard time gearing up for Christmas. After two drafts, our annual Christmas letter remains as dull as a worn-down pencil-point. During Thanksgiving week, I completed the third draft of my book manuscript and, after the intense effort, feel at loose ends....

Labor Day Braid

Before being eligible for working papers at age 16, I did extra chores for cash, and I babysat. I didn’t always enjoy babysitting but knew that parents needed time together and was happy to earn 50 cents an hour. After the children were safely tucked in bed, I’d stay...

Why am I Writing?

Why do people become writers? The question arose during my Creative Nonfiction class at WriterHouse. One of my classmates, a clinical psychologist, said that people work for three reasons: money, career or mission. I wondered if one could work for all three reasons,...

Talent

In a recent blog post, Patrick Ross pondered about talent – inborn perhaps – and skill, working on one’s craft. Why do we marvel at a person’s talent and not their developed skill? Ross wondered as he watched his daughter receive an arts award for the...