Let's face it. Some folk are simply crazy in a Julia Sugarbaker kind of way, “I'm saying this is the South. And we're proud of our crazy people. We don't hide them up in the attic. We bring 'em right down to the living room and show 'em off. See, Phyllis, no one in the South ever asks if you have crazy people in your family. They just ask what side they're on." If you are … [Read more...] about The Insanity of Some
Opinions
Partnered vs. Unpartnered: Lessons from Both Sides
As we continue in our COVID-19 world, the months are speeding along for many, but seem to creep by for others. That may vary day to day, making it difficult to maintain a balance of all the parts that make up a life. Think of it as “calendar disruption,” and we love our calendars, don’t we? We are still quarantined and lots of people are more anxious & depressed than … [Read more...] about Partnered vs. Unpartnered: Lessons from Both Sides
Isolation; powerful estrangement.
“A person is a person through other persons; you can’t be human in isolation; you are human only in relationships.”Rt. Rev. Desmond Tutu The city is opening up. Or, so it would seem. Just today bars now have to place tables outside. Last week it was inside social distancing. One of the rants is the very phrase “social distancing.” Such should be “physical distancing” because … [Read more...] about Isolation; powerful estrangement.
“History of PRIDE in New Orleans Panel” – Lessons Learned
We’re hearing so much about history, what’s real, what’s true, what never was true. History is vital in our lives, because our personal history, our experiences, and what we’ve learned through them, help shape our lives going forward. Memories take hold of our brains, our hearts, and often impact the choices we make. There are helpful aspects of having strong memories, which … [Read more...] about “History of PRIDE in New Orleans Panel” – Lessons Learned
Next to Normal
Can we expect life, as we knew it, to resume after the pandemic? I don’t think so. Will things return to the way they were? No. Things will never get back to ‘normal’. The best we can hope for is something next to ‘normal’. But what does that look like? As a nation, we’ve spent the better part of the last four months doing our very best just to get through … [Read more...] about Next to Normal
Strange Times
It has been so long since we last got together. So, wash your hands, pour a cocktail, maybe stop by Betty’s later but let’s chat, shall we? The world as we knew it has changed so much that one might not recognize it even though we so desperately want things to be the same. Like it used to be. Or do we really? Perhaps more importantly should we want to go back to a time … [Read more...] about Strange Times
Is Risky Behavior Worth It? Wear a MASK
Stress impacts everything in our lives. The holistic worldview encourages us to consider everything in our life as connected. Through those connections, there are bonds that sustain us throughout life and help to keep us grounded in logic and reality in times of trauma or transition. As we’ve recently discovered, the stress we have lived with since late March is here … [Read more...] about Is Risky Behavior Worth It? Wear a MASK
The Road Ahead Part Two
It has been almost 100 days since our wonderful state was first placed under a “stay at home” order. Not much has changed in the 97 days that have led up to this article. Things are almost exactly the same. My routine is pretty simple. I’ll wake up, usually sometime in the late morning. I’ll see my clients via teletherapy, go for a run in the wonderful New Orleans … [Read more...] about The Road Ahead Part Two
12 Inches That Changed My Life
And just like that the gauntlet had been tossed, without cause, provocation, or ceremony. In the blink of an eye, I had been challenged. In less than an instant, I declined. I reflexively steer clear of the mass-produced trend du jour. A policy that has served me well, as I see videos of those poor bastards roped into the ice water challenge, cinnamon challenge, or … [Read more...] about 12 Inches That Changed My Life
Letter to the Editor from Scott Ellis
Dear Editor: In the deliberations concerning the renaming of Gov. Nichols (the street where I lived in Quarter), I suggest that the street be named Shaw, or Clay Shaw street. Mr. Shaw was a pioneering preservationist and renovator in the Quarter, and a bronze plaque on the present Gov. Nichols honors his efforts. Not only would this honor reflect his efforts in the Quarter, … [Read more...] about Letter to the Editor from Scott Ellis