Freedom of Voice

Oddly enough, I realized I wrote a piece with the same title a couple of years ago.  Those of you who know me know I am not a fan of platitudes. Those of you who really know me know I loathe them.  Disclaimer: If you think you might be offended by some straight talk, please exit the building now. I am not trying to lose friends or make enemies, but I realize some of what I will say will be unsettling to people who insist on keeping up the "positive at all costs" facade.  For those of you still here, thanks for being willing to delve into this radical idea with me.  Here goes. In general, I do lean toward optimistic, but not the over-the-top Sally Sunshine version. My brand of optimism is positivity with a healthy dose of realism and an even healthier dose of sarcasm to ease the pain. To pretend that everything is perfect and wonderful and great all the time is a sign of delusion in my book. Not that I piss on anyone's pot of gold. If that is the way you want to live,...

Thank you to my writing compadre for this idea. It was a fun way to kick off 2021! 1)  Highlight of 2020-- Well, this was actually taken in November 2019, but the anniversary of this very special union was in 2020, so I am counting it. 1) Because it is that special. When one of your kids finds love eerily similar to the one you have with your own husband, there is a special kind of peace, and 2) because I have no other highlights of 2020 on my camera roll. None of my son's non-existent graduation ceremony from UF, no vacations, nada.  2) Meaningful Moment Doesn't look like much, but this gray whale sighting--particularly a scarred female--was a pivotal moment in my life. I wrote a poem about that day that was published, and the mystical events that surround it still resonate with me to this very day.  3) Moment with Loved Ones We have had so many great family vacations, but I just love the expressions on each of our faces on this Utah ski trip. Being silly and laughing. P...