The retired full bird colonel shaved his head every morning, leaving a smooth, bald crown atop dark eyebrows, hazel eyes, a dominant nose, and ever-so slightly pointed ears. He donned impeccable posture, shoulders back, head held high, his six-foot-two frame much like an upside down exclamation point. The proud Marine’s presence exuded confidence, yet kindness […]
Continue reading →White as my grandmother’s bed sheets, the painted face bobbled atop the brightly colored costume, sporting a red ball for a nose and a sadistic smile stretching from ear to ear. Big shoes clunked down the cobblestone path toward my front door. Heartbeat racing, fists clenched, I stopped breathing amid this moment of terror. Clip. […]
Continue reading →The sky blushes. As the sun slowly begins to descend, its blue backdrop—a monochromatic slate of cerulean and cyan—begins to pop, awash with hues arching across the horizon. The evening sky transforms before my eyes, penetrated by pink paisleys curled up like kittens at the end of a day filled with curious play. Salmon streaks […]
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Hands hidden behind his back, halo of sweat beading on his brow, dimples framing his ladybug lips, swimming pools sparkling below coal lashes, he tiptoes toward me. “Guess what I have.” He doesn’t know moments ago I spotted him through an open window, prancing around the backyard, scouting for sparse bursts of color, henbit tickling […]
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“When we can begin to take our failures non-seriously, it means we are ceasing to be afraid of them. It is of immense importance to learn to laugh at ourselves.” — Katherine Mansfield One character defect deeply ingrained within me during childhood was perfectionism. Yes, the P-word! Don’t get me wrong — perfectionists tend to […]
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Imported from my personal blog, where it received 1,268 views in the week it was published … While the world waxes poetic about the difference teachers make in the lives of students, the impact of young souls upon us is seldom spoken. Many students have made their way into my heart over the years, playing a part […]
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I was born in Stillwater, raised in Texas, and educated at OU (Boomer Sooner!). Starbucks and Sesame Street were born the same year I was – in 1971. I turned six months old in Mexico and celebrated my first birthday in Montreal. When I was three years old, I began ballet, tap, and jazz lessons. […]
Continue reading →Remember Johnny’s last gasp in The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton? Recognizing that Ponyboy was better than the average hoodlum, Johnny wanted him to hold onto the golden qualities that set him apart from their companions. So, he urged Ponyboy to “stay gold,” or remain innocent — a reference to the Robert Frost poem Ponyboy had recited […]
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