Published in The Narrative Arc·PinnedMember-onlyIf You’re a Child of a Narcissist, You’ve Learned to Live in an Environment of Chaos and InstabilityYou’re always in danger — Being a child of a narcissist is not unlike being a mountain goat. Mountain goats climb the steepest ranges, hang out on the sides of mountains, and even defend themselves against other mountain goats. …Narcissistic Parents4 min readNarcissistic Parents4 min read
Published in The Narrative Arc·PinnedMember-onlyThe Last Thing my Aunt Christine, a Successful Writer, Wrote Was a Suicide NoteShe lived a full life until she didn’t — “If you’re reading this, then I haven’t botched it,” read my Aunt Christine’s suicide note. I’ve heard various reasons over the years regarding her motivation for ending her life — she had cancer, or she had lost the will to live after her second husband, Ted died. Her suicide note…Nonfiction5 min readNonfiction5 min read
Published in The Narrative Arc·PinnedMember-onlyMiracles Don’t Happen in Day CampI knew better — In grade school, my mother would pack me a sensible lunch with carrots, an apple, and a tuna sandwich on whole wheat bread and put it into a grocery bag. It was very healthy but screamingly abnormal as far as I was concerned, my healthy lunches branding me forever as…Nonfiction Writing6 min readNonfiction Writing6 min read
Published in The Narrative Arc·PinnedMember-onlyMy Father’s Encounters With the Nazis Changed Everything He Knew About HimselfHe was lucky they only bullied him — How many of these children in the photo above grew up to be Nazis? I look closely at my father’s primary school photo. I see him in the front row, third from the left, dressed in short pants and a simple short-sleeved shirt. …Nonfiction Writing5 min readNonfiction Writing5 min read
Published in The Narrative Arc·2 days agoMember-onlyI Was Looking for Love When I Found a Guy Who Was Into Wearing DiapersI may have to rethink my stand on bladder control — “I like wearing diapers,” he said responding to my personal ad. The ad was in a regular newspaper, not a site for kinky adults. There was nothing in it to suggest any kind of fetish. …Humor5 min readHumor5 min read
Published in In for a Penny·3 days agoMember-only7 Exceptional British Crime DramasIf you haven’t seen these you’re missing out — Culturally we have many things to thank the British for such as the birth of the modern novel, Shakespeare, and some truly amazing actors. Among the many achievements of the British, I’d like to add how superb they are at T.V. crime dramas. Sharing your favorite British mystery programs with…Listicles5 min readListicles5 min read
Published in Catness·5 days agoMember-onlyMy Three-Year-Old Cat Slept in My Arms for the First TimeA major cat breakthrough — Today I received the most wonderful gift — our cat Carlos slept in my arms, on my chest for almost fifteen minutes. I nearly wept with joy. It isn’t that Carlos is an anti-social cat. He’s fairly affectionate and likes to be petted, and have his chin scratched, and he’s…Cats4 min readCats4 min read
Published in In for a Penny·Jan 23Member-only‘My Humps’ and Other Songs That Bug the Shit Out Of MeDid they think no one would notice? — Songwriting isn’t easy — I sure can’t do it. Matching lyrics to music and hoping it conveys emotion and makes sense is hard. I love all different kinds of music, but there are some songs that annoy me every time I hear them. I Shot the Sheriff — -Bob Marley…Listicles4 min readListicles4 min read
Published in In for a Penny·Jan 18Member-only13 Signs Your Cats Have Almost Finished Training YouCats know how to get you to do what they want — We think we’re the ones in charge when it comes to our households, the residents, and how they behave but the jokes are on us, especially when it comes to cats. Cats are always in charge. You may believe you’re training them but in reality, they’re schooling you. While cats…Listicles With Commentary6 min readListicles With Commentary6 min read
Published in In for a Penny·Jan 16Member-only12 Etiquette Rules for the 10:15 A.M. YMCA Arthritis Water Exercise ClassWhat not to do at the Y — Don’t complain about getting wet. You’re in a pool, splashing is part of the deal. Bitching about getting wet in the pool is like blaming the sun for making you sweat. No one wants to hear your bellyaching. 2. Don’t pee, poop, or spit in the pool. For f*ck’s sake…Listicles3 min readListicles3 min read
