Society

In 2019 Gillette stirred up a hornet’s nest with a commercial that was dubbed the “Toxic Masculinity” ad.  I do not watch network television, and I do not follow sports, so I missed the commercial, which I believe first aired during some sporting event involving balls. However, I couldn’t avoid hearing about it at the… read more

I have become fascinated recently by a disturbing trend on social media. I keep running across pictures of female friends who have radically altered their appearance in their photographs with filters. These friends, most of whom are in their 20’s and 30’s, are relatively young and almost universally attractive without having to alter a thing.… read more

It’s 2022 and we just celebrated another New Year’s Eve. As New Year’s Day inevitably showed up the next day, many people are swinging their thoughts to what resolutions they want to tackle in the new year. I imagine the word “diet” is on many people’s lists. The intention to eat healthier is always good,… read more

When we were sent into social isolation in mid-March, many of my friends found it comforting to write in their journals. It helped them identify, and cope with, everything they were feeling and experiencing. I, on the other hand, couldn’t bear to write during this period. There was just too much going on and no… read more

There is a saying by Virginia Satir, a respected family therapist, “We need four hugs a day for survival. We need eight hugs a day for maintenance. We need twelve hugs a day for growth.” Wow, that’s a lot of hugs. As a single person, it’s hard for me to conceptualize giving and receiving that many… read more

I am proud to be one of the studio artists at the Kansas City Artists Coalition. The Kansas City Artists Coalition (KCAC or Artists Coalition) is an artist-centered, artist-run alternative space that presents a variety of exhibitions of contemporary artists’ work in its Main Gallery and the Snap Space Gallery. However, during the current pandemic,… read more

I am sitting in my quiet apartment, writing and thinking. As I sit, the young woman who lives in the apartment above me is doing some sort of work out. The floor is squeaking and I can hear her moving all around her space. I guess it’s really not that quiet, but it still feels… read more

Today I am getting serious. No jokes, no humor, just sadness and disgust. I am shocked and appalled by where we are today as a society. I cannot believe what I am seeing on the news each day. Every day I ask myself “How did we get here?” I grew up during the days of… read more

A friend of mine passed away recently and I attended her funeral and celebration of life. It was a sad time with lots of tears, but there was also a lot of laughter as people remembered her and the mark she made on each of our lives. My friend was kind and loving, the one… read more

I got a cold for Christmas. It wasn’t on my wish-list, but nevertheless, it was the gift I received. Sniffling, sneezing, coughing, and just generally feeling like ass. I have no idea where the cold came from. During the course of an average week, I teach at 3 gyms, and 4 businesses, along with working… read more