Some diseases may be transmissible, but none is as infectious as the cure of laughter — In movies, the music changes when something interesting is about to happen; it gets faster or softer, and there might be a drum roll. In real life, the soundtrack is often silenced. But for comedians, it’s entirely different. They rely on words and body language designed to make us laugh. …

You were clingy and needy, and I had enough — There is an infinite number of places to begin any outcome. I know it wasn’t that simple; I know all the reasons in intimate, serrated detail; I can stack them up in a neat pile and stare at them till they’re lost and found all over again or whatever I…

A digital overload consumes me as I desperately chase the elusive promise of Inbox Zero — Breathe — Breathebreathebreathebreathebreathe Everything is spinning. I listen to the passing of time. Nothing happens. The rush of seconds and minutes drags me toward nothingness. And what does it mean when we say time passes? Is it possible to experience time passing? But I will leave the questions about the…

Other than being an eyesore, I was motivated to write when I found out that pet waste is a serious pollutant — “Hey, why do I need to pick up my dog’s poop? Someone else can do it. After all, no one saw my dog poop, so why should I pick it up? Besides, I forgot to bring a bag.” If you reside in a major city in the US, you’ve undoubtedly…

Cringing at your awkward mistakes isn’t the worst psychological pain in the world, but it’s still uncomfortable — The word “cringe” gets tossed around a lot these days. The term is still relatively new to me, but the feeling is all too familiar. Your shoulders tense, your stomach clenches, your face screws up, and you cover your eyes to make it disappear. The many times the word “cringe”…

Axel’s mind worked overtime as he pressed down on the gas pedal. There couldn’t be a happy ending to this scenario — The following is a small passage from one of my novels. Enjoy! After shopping for necessities at Wal-Mart, Axel Cabutin made a quick visual circle check on the truck before climbing into the welcome warmth of the cab. …

First, I identify a part of my body that doesn’t hurt and hurt it. When it is good and sore, I choose another body part and move on — Dave Gottlieb, who takes bodybuilding seriously, challenged me to write this piece. In addition to taking care of his body, Dave is a brilliant savant. But not the Raymond Babbitt kind, as portrayed by Dustin Hoffman in the 1988 movie Rain Man. He devours books few of us would take…

“How are you?” Often, when asking these three compulsive words, it serves as a social reflex — Imagine an alien land on Earth and learning our customs… They’d be so confused about why we incessantly ask about each other’s well-being but never wait for a substantive reply! “How are you?” These three words are often asked rhetorically and out of habit, without a genuine interest in the…

Some emotional wounds heal slowly, so allowing time for forgiveness is reasonable — Wife: I would forgive you if you would just apologize. Husband: What do you mean? I did apologize. Wife: No, you didn’t. Husband: I said I was sorry. What else do you want? Wife: That’s not an apology. (Husband leaves the room in a huff.) Does this sound familiar? In…