The attacker struck me from behind. Startled and stunned my breath left me. Three quick blows to the head and shoulders. Then nothing. Quiet. I felt no pain. I blushed when I realized I was standing in my tiny bedroom closet and the shoes I had just thrown up to the highest, bulging shelf had fallen back down and pummeled me on the head as I turned to leave. Dangerous shoes were my assailant. My house is small by Bay Area standards. I like it that way. Less to take care of. But sometimes small means no place to store things. [View Full Entry]

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Last October My ex-neighbor asked me what I had been doing recently. “Wandering around aimlessly”, I quipped. She look startled. Then disgusted. She never did think I gave her straight answers. Yet that is exactly what I have been doing for the last year when Luke, my 16 year-old son, I raised alone for 12 years, moved in with his Dad. Wandering, wailing at my empty nest, wondering what I should do next, that’s what I did with a lot of my time. I told her the truth. Oh, I look busy. I’ve been playing at being an independent corporate trainer. [View Full Entry]

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Remember when you were about 5 years old and all the older kids were going down the really tall, winding slide? Maybe you really wanted to go but you were afraid? You finally worked up the courage to climb all top. You looked down, and it seemed a lot further than you thought. You were holding on tight to the safety bars. You wanted to let go. But you didn't want to let go. That's how I feel. After ruminating for 6 months about what to do with my life, I decided to climb that ladder and go back to Antigua, [View Full Entry]

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