My mother is the mildest mannered and least confrontational person that I know. So, it was interesting, and out of character, for her to recently comment to a family member, “I think if they took the word complain out of the English language, you wouldn’t have anything to say.” Let’s face it, we like to…
It has been a long and somewhat frustrating day at work. You arrive home planning to have a little solace in the front of the TV. However, as you walk in the door, your spouse, who is bubbling with excitement wants to talk. Talk – ugh – this requires thinking and brain cells that are…
A recent article asked this question in a number of ways. It examined attempts that individuals have made to push their bodies to extremes. For example: the longest someone has been able to last without solid food was 382 days; or the most friends (not Facebook friends) a person can have is 150; or the…
Remember as a kid when your mom told you, “No dessert before dinner,” but then she caught you eating half a dozen cookies? Most likely your response was, “Sorry.” Was it sincere? In January 2013, Lance Armstrong, the seven-time Tour de France winner, sat down for an interview with Oprah Winfrey. She asked him, “Did…
A few years ago, a friend of mine shaved off his mustache, which he had been sporting for a number of years. One evening while he and his wife were out to dinner with some mutual friends, the other couple asked, “Hey, when did you shave your face?” Quickly turning her head in surprise, his…
It is the middle of the night. You wake up because you are cold and it quickly becomes evident as to why. Your partner, once again, has taken most of the covers. How do you address it? Yank all of the covers in retaliation, wake him or her up and voice your complaint, or let…
I recall watching an episode of “Everybody Loves Raymond,” in which we are transported back to when Raymond and Debra decided to get married. Debra talked about how she had dreamed of getting married since she was a little girl. Over the years she had thought about what she would wear, the size of the…
“What an eye opening experience,” is the thought that went through my mind. I have read about it, I’ve seen it, and I have written about it. But I recently experienced it at a new level. “What is that?” you are wondering. Having my cell phone off. You see, my wife and I were recently…
Have you ever experienced regret? Now I know that sounds like a truly absurd question. A better question might be, when have we not experienced regret? Most of us can recall poor decisions, impulsive choices, and warped rationalizations (too many to count), that we wish we would have handled differently. While some of those choices…
“I looked forward to getting married all of my life and then it happened – however, it has been a disaster. Needless to say, it has definitely not met my expectations. I am so very disappointed.” “I remember when my wife lost her temper and said some extremely hurtful things. I was stunned and disappointed…