A little bit feral: problems with perception.

I was feeling feral the other day. A little edgy, a little hypervigilant, a little thin-skinned, and a little aggressive. The word “feral” seemed to sum all that up which is why I threw it out in response to the “how are you” query made by an acquaintance. I knew I’d made a mistake when I saw her expression of extreme incomprehension. Apparently “feral” is … Continue reading A little bit feral: problems with perception.

Do the structural work.

People like to say we start out perfect. “Look at that perfect baby.” I remain unconvinced regarding the accuracy of that statement. If nothing else, positing “perfect” as the default position is unkind. Having met babies, it’s also, I believe, inaccurate. Parenting teaches you that kids are imperfect no matter how cute. It also teaches you that they come, to some extent, factory hardwired. As … Continue reading Do the structural work.

The annoying endurance of chronic pain (neuralgia).

I suffer from chronic pain. My version of it is trigeminal neuralgia. Neuralgia is described by some as “stabbing, burning, and often severe pain due to an irritated or damaged nerve.” The nerve(s) can be anywhere in the body. Mine are in my head, and I can set a flare off via clenching the jaw. The problem is structural, caused by damage I sustained in … Continue reading The annoying endurance of chronic pain (neuralgia).

But I like my plastic bottles…

I’m sucking a little at this whole “save the planet thing”. It’s not that I’m not on-board team “we’re headed for destruction”. I’m fully willing to believe scientists and my own eyes. Record global temperatures keep happening, month after month, year after year. The needle is creeping upward and this is not a good thing, uninformed northern politicians’ bizarre rants on the coming days of … Continue reading But I like my plastic bottles…