Four times I’ve tried writing this. May I at long last scratch a version up and hit ‘publish’. Last fall, I attended a writing workshop. This was a big step for me. It cost big cash, and I would need to travel to another town and back before my son’s child care ended. When I… Continue reading Impoverishing Myself
Four year old Maria set her dresses on fire and chopped off her hair. Her father watched, nodded, and provided her with her older brother’s clothing and a traditionally male name. She was free. A Different Kind of Daughter: The Girl Who Hid from the Taliban in Plain Sight is written by Maria Toorpakai and Katharine Holstein. I… Continue reading Book Review: GenderBendy under Taliban Rule
Almost twenty years ago, a friend described my then-boyfriend as being “like a cat.” He didn’t mean quiet and fuzzy. He was pointing out that my boyfriend sidled up to anyone available when he needed his version of food—a toke, a beer, sex. On one level, I couldn’t really see it. On another, I knew… Continue reading Human Cats, Human Dogs
I was three years out of my teens. Just weeks before, I had married. Today I was fresh out of my first-ever psychiatric hospitalization. “Adjustment disorder” they called it. Surely, I had been fine before this—though perhaps slightly vulnerable to stress—and would be fine again shortly. I was simply taxed, of course, by the move… Continue reading The Gift of Safety
In my book, I encourage a few spends. One is one a private mailbox. Following are six reasons I’m a fan of these. As with many of the strategies I present, some of these will seem crazy to people whose lives have been easy and stable. For those for whom my book is intended, though,… Continue reading Mailbox: Worth Its Weight In Gold
Having grown up vulnerable, I experienced quite a bit of abuse at school—extreme bullying and threats—from both children and teachers. Because my parents grasped the risk to me, they let me get out before any of the threats could be implemented. I’m eternally grateful for that. Many families living paycheque to paycheque, or in extreme… Continue reading Opting Out of School Bullying
