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Back in January, I decided to read in a different way this year. I would cast a wide net for the books I want to read, but choose with care the ones I actually read. Even though I read about the same number of books as I did last year,
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What a year 2022 was. I launched my own business! I got covid and the flu. My grandmother and then my cat Waffles passed away. I’ve gotten older and hopefully a little wiser. I’ve found myself coming into a new form of power. I noticed this year that
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I often tell the story about the first time we met. We brought you into the viewing room at the shelter and your brother immediately flopped on the floor for cuddles. You, new to the room, looked around with wide eyes and ignored us until you got your bearings. I
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A few years ago I read an article about how friends develop and strengthen their bonds. University of Kansas professor Jeffrey Hall described this in his study from 2018. Two people spend about 50 hours together to become more than acquaintances. These casual friends can spend 90 hours together to
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It feels great to be back and writing! I celebrated a milestone birthday earlier this month. I won’t say which decade I turned because I’m modest. That said, if anyone guesses “50” then I will be very distraught for a few hours. Over the last few weeks I
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I grew up on the outskirts of a medium-sized town in central Texas. Where I lived, Austin felt to me like the biggest, coolest city around. The underdeveloped suburbs might not count as rural for everyone. I didn’t live on a farm, but I did spend a lot of
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I got covid last weekend. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t at least a little afraid. There’s a personalization to the virus when covid is circulating in your own body. Still, I have health insurance and access to care. I have a loving spouse who
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This week I finished season 1 of Heartstopper, a new series from Netflix. The leads are two boys: Charlie is nerdy, shy, constantly apologetic, and gay. Nick is popular, a year older that Charlie, great at rugby, and appears to be straight. Over the course of eight episodes, they meet,
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I don’t remember a sudden shift in how I felt. I had hardened into a cynic when I was in high school. Those feelings threatened to stay with me into adulthood. I knew racism and bigotry existed. I tried to call attention to them. I tried to internalize them.
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I’ve written almost 100 blog posts for be the future. When I started this blog, I didn’t know what would come from it. I’ve been online in some form for more than two thirds of my life. I’ve been a writer for even longer. I decided
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A few years ago I committed to myself that I would read more books. It began as a way to counter the nonstop doomscrolling that will come to define my generation. It later became a habit I look forward to: a relaxing way to wind down before I go to
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Fall is my favorite season. I love the crisp coolness in the air that seems to wash away the vestiges of summer heat. I love the return of food you can cook in a oven, the warming spices that perfume a home. Even the cinnamon brooms at the grocery store
