If you know my sister, Andrea, you will understand her preference for cats with a certain punk-rock personality, shall we say. When shopping for a new cat, she may be told: “Mittens has a loving personality, purrs all day, and loves to curl up with you for a relaxing nap.” …

An open letter to Medium — Dear members of Medium, Unlike the wars from generations past which were fought in static newspapers and through short television clips, the war for Ukraine is fought online. On Twitter, even. It is extremely personal. In your face, hauntingly close. In living color. Not black and white. Even though we…

How to quickly level up your marketing Hey guys, if I can do it. You can do it. I am a productive writer but I didn't know a thing about marketing myself. Let’s face it, Medium is the greatest thing since sliced bread. You get to share your writings and…

Just follow this simple but challenging checklist — Read, Write, Comment each and every day — Join a Zoom writing group. The London Writers Salon — (50-minute daily sessions) https://londonwriterssalon.com/ Follow and interact with great writers across platforms (Medium, LinkedIn, Twitter — each offers a different way to learn about someone) Play with pain. Write on days you…

Spring has Sprung — Here’s a simple way to Calm-the-Hell-Down — The world can be a crazy place. I find myself feeling stuck a lot and reading the daily news only makes it worse. But the sun is coming out here in the NorthEast — even though I look at Florida temperatures regularly and am amazed at how they are rocking…

One of the gloomiest, uninspired movies I have ever seen but still can’t stop thinking about it — Do you ever get a really off-beat somewhat distasteful song in your head, and yet it plays there all day? Well, this odd, little/big movie may get stuck in your mind in the same way — even if you try hard not to let it. The Cliff-Notes version of the…

I’m suspicious but am going to try anyways — I “hate” these morning page writing suggestions as I hate mornings. I’m going to try them anyways. Morning Pages for those not familiar is a practice founded by Julia Cameron in the Artist’s Way. It is supposed to be good for your writing and cathartic. Here are my morning (page)…

Do you remember your bittersweet days of being a school kid? My bus was called “The Zoo.” My French Teacher — hot, hot, hot. — I am taking the High School Challenge that Scot Butwell started. Scot is always challenging me so I had to respond! A short profile: I went to a small Catholic college-prep school run by the order of Holy Cross. The school was located in east Akron, Ohio about 25 minutes…

My emotions and stress are off the charts — Yesterday, I wrote a piece on my retirement practice year (RPY) and why it was so important to take one before I head off into full retirement. I believe to find my purpose for the rest of my life is a critical step. 5 shockers learned from my Retirement Practice…