If you’re going to lose your temper, stay away from hammers.

Anger is in the news a lot these days. People are feeling it. Politicians are using it as a recruiting tool. News channels are using it for ratings. I’ve written about it myself, discussing how often, anger is a secondary emotion masking something underneath, like pain or shame. We don’t want to deal with the underneath because it’s painful and uncomfortable. Angry is easy. Unfortunately, … Continue reading If you’re going to lose your temper, stay away from hammers.

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.