Blog
The Three Strong Women in My Life
I spent my early childhood years living with my mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Many on the outside thought our living arrangements were unusual. To them, I was living in a broken home. To be clear, there was nothing broken about our home, our relationships, or our bond. And sure, we struggled, but there was a […]
Self-Publishing Tips
Self-publishing is often the best, and sometimes the only way for writers to get their works into print. Self-publishing is challenging, but the concept that all self-published books are subpar is untrue, and more and more writers are choosing to take publishing matters into their own hands. The old adage that traditional publishing is the […]
#MeToo
I’ve been losing a ton of sleep over the Harvey Weinstein thing for a couple of weeks now. Here’s the internal struggle. Do I have the courage to share what’s in my tormented head? Or not. Putting this blog post together has been one of the most heart-wrenching and challenging things I’ve ever done. And […]
Father-Daughter Dance
If you know me, or my blog, I often write about being fatherless, and its cause and effect on the past 60+ years of my life. The annual Father-Daughter Dance at St. Ambrose School in Bridgeport Connecticut during the early 60’s, was the blockbuster event of the year. For me, it was the tragic reality […]
Trading Places
If you try to be me, I’ll try to be you. Then for each other, we’ll know what to do. If you look at me through my eyes, there will be no need to wear my protective disguise. Because you’ll be able to see that my inner child is in fear. You’ll be able to […]
My Do-Over
Whenever I think back to the epifocal moment where I realized I had been given the miracle of a do-over; a better life, a better me, it’s this unforgettable memory: My mischievous three-year-old son dressed in his holiday best, his back to me, but his beautiful face turned in my direction. His body lurching forward, […]
How Much Alcohol Is Too Much?
I recently went to my allergist to be retested for certain fruits that have lately been causing me extreme stomach pain, lip throbbing, nausea, and internal palpitations. As I breezed through filling out the medical forms, one question, in particular, gave me pause. How many alcoholic beverages do you have a week on average? I […]
Mother’s Day and Raleigh: My Brother Disguised as a Dog
My relationship with Raleigh began on Mother’s Day in 1961 when I was eight years old and continued for eleven blessed years. I was living on Huron Street where I lived in a railroad tenement with my grandmother and mother, who both worked full-time jobs. Our top-floor apartment was run down but immaculate and was […]
Goodbye—Not Sorry, Seems to Be the Hardest Word
I have always been overly obsessed with listening to my favorite melancholy tunes over and over again, never tiring of the songs, the words, or my morose reaction. I know what you’re thinking. Big time downer. I once asked my music theory college professor why certain songs hit me so hard, and he thought it […]
The Fishers Island Prophecy
She started to have her doubts about whether or not he was “the one” several weeks before the wedding day. But the invitations had already gone out and the down payments for the reception, photographer, band, and florist had long been paid. She confided her trepidation to her best friend who said it was “normal […]