Because genetics and fate seem to share a wry sense of humor, I often find myself at uncomfortable family gatherings where I'm one of only a few liberals in a crowd of very outspoken conservatives. It's ironic, given these are exactly the sorts of situations I’ve spent my life avoiding. I’ve got strong convictions, but I was also raised to be polite and to avoid confrontation. … [Read more...]
No sooner had the Thanksgiving leftovers been stowed away than my Facebook feed erupted in verbal fistfights about the language of the holiday season. Evidently, “Happy Holidays” is no longer a gently inclusive expression of good will, but the opening salvo in a new Crusades. And forget about “Xmas” as well, warned an indignant friend who demanded we “keep Christ in Christmas!” … [Read more...]
I've never been a napper. I’ve always been jealous of friends and family who can catch forty winks without breaking a sweat, and frustrated by my inability to rest while the Sun is out. Similar to my wariness of drugs and caution with alcohol, I have resisted the narcotic of sleep except between the socially sanctioned hours of 10 pm and 6 am. With strong Virgo planets and many … [Read more...]
Who are "your people"? You recognize one another the moment you meet. They get your jokes. Your conversations have a cadence that is comfortable, familiar. Generally you share the same values and probably the same politics. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve known each other a few minutes or many years, you get each other. And then there are the Uncomfortable Others to whom … [Read more...]
Eclipses are freakish moments when the world ceases to function the way we expect it to. The air turns prickly and the sky turns dark and we panic a little, the way you might if the electricity suddenly went out on a cold, windy night when you're home alone. Objectively, you know you're safe. But during eclipse times, objectivity is not on the menu. Your perceptions have been … [Read more...]
