Columns

When the Scary Stuff Became Real

As far back as I can remember, I have had an affinity for all things scary, creepy, suspenseful, and macabre. From “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” (which includes books, black-and-white TV reruns, and movies), to true crime drama, thriller fiction, and “…

My Body Is My Home

I write a lot about the body. It’s inescapable in my line of work. I identify as disabled, and more than that, my disability is painfully visible. But my interests are rooted in the metaphysical. If I’m not writing about mental health, which has everything to do with…

Spinning Webs of Resilience

I’ve been grieving this month. On some days, the weather was impeccable. Morning dew twinkled on silk linens of freshly spun spiderwebs. The air smelled of sun-crisped leaves dipped in salted caramel. Other days were filmed in grayscale. Winds howled through my window frames. Ragged clouds hung in the…

Adapting to a Season of Change

Around the corner from my house there’s a shopping mall that’s stood as an iconic symbol of my small hometown for decades. It’s across the street from the high school my sister and brother-in-law went to, and it’s also situated near my go-to Barnes & Noble store,…

In Defense of Cybernetics

If you’re a member of the SMA News Today Forums, you might know that I trialed the JACO robotic arm a few months ago. When I heard that Numotion was servicing my area of the U.S., I decided to give it a shot. Why not, right? I’m…

Learning to Celebrate Life in New Ways

I’m still trying to wrap my head around this one: I will be turning 30 at the end of the month. To keep my columns professional, I used a period for that previous sentence. But please know there were many exclamation points swirling around my brain. This milestone birthday…

Dreams of a White Picket Fence

When I began daydreaming about the kind of house my husband, Randy, and I would someday own, my vision included a big covered porch with a swing, a roomy yard with lots of trees, and a white picket fence. Gloria, our realtor in Fort…