My husband and I recently went to a NFL playoff game. I was a fair-weather Seattle Seahawks fan when I met Darren, but marrying him made me an all-weather fan—the kind of fan who drives 7-hours one-way to attend a playoff game in support of the visiting team. We were full of excitement at the opportunity to see “our” team and visit a new city, but I hadn’t thought much about what it would be like to stand as the “outsider” in the Atlanta Falcon’s Georgia Dome. We were not just outnumbered; we . . .
New Year, More You
I never really did get into making New Year’s resolutions, presumably for the same reason I never collected anything as a kid: nothing ever caught on. I’d soon lose track of the resolutions I wrote, much like how I would save a couple of bottle caps, call it a collection, and then completely forget about it. So as you can imagine, the beginning of January is tough for me. I’ll often try to treat it just like any other month, but our culture doesn’t. Everywhere I turn, I’m faced with ads not . . .
How Mad Men Saved My Computer from Drowning
Have you ever walked into a room for a specific reason, only to suddenly realize you’ve forgotten the reason? It’s disorienting, maddening, and can make you feel like you’re one million years old—you had set out with clear intentions and, somewhere along the short way, your purpose was muddied. This has certainly happened to me before and it feels terrible. Lately, however, it hasn’t been an in-home errand I’m forgetting mid-way through, causing me to feel confused and crazy—it’s my vocation. . . .
The Maddening & Wonderful Power of Voices
Have you noticed it? I mean, that is actually a ridiculous question, because HOW COULD YOU NOT? Right there, in between my eyebrows—it’s only the most defined crease you could ever imagine. It’s a lifelong souvenir, received after 30+ years of furrowing my brow. In sunlight, frustration, confusion, or concentration, my brow furrows and I am mostly unaware of it until I see a photo of myself. The harsh crease jumps out at me immediately, leaving me incapable of noticing any other details in . . .
Guest Post: Can We Survive on Inspiration?
Once again, I'm going to have you travel to a different spot on the internet this week to read my latest blog post! I'm so very excited to be published over at The Mudroom this morning. I love the vision, the writers, and the words that I find on this website, and I'm honored to contribute a few thoughts there today. This month in The Mudroom is all about creativity, inspiration, and imagination. I'm writing about my inspiration for running and writing—and what happens when that inspiration . . .
Our Finest Failures
Two events down, two to go—balance beam and floor exercise. I was nearly eighteen years old and halfway through competing in one of the last gymnastics meets of my ten-year career. This was the conference championships—the meet that would determine who would advance to the post-season competition. My chances of making it to the regional championships rested on my performance on the balance beam. At this point in my career, it was my strongest event. I tried to ignore the pressure as I walked to . . .