On our honeymoon road trip, Jesse and I visited the Georgia Aquarium. While there, we were introduced to a new way of thinking: animals aren’t happy; they thrive.
So, when you look at your dog, cat, pig, otter, whatever, the question you should ask yourself is, “are they thriving in my care?” While many of us strive to be happy, to experience joy (I know I do), thriving indicates that we are growing — developing for the better — and that our environment contributes to such growth.
Adam Grant’s recent New York Times article on “languishing” and the accompanying quiz…
I sympathize with restaurant owners (especially mom & pops), waste management, and other industries affected by the current employment deficit. But I’d like to ask a few questions that may help us see things from a different perspective rather than signing people off as lazy-do-nothings.
If people pursued passions vs. mediocre meantime pursuits, would so many be more willing to stay home?
If we lived in a culture that encouraged learning and expanding rather than settling, would so many be more willing to stay home?
If salaries were competitive across these industries, would so many people be more willing to…
Bananas are technically an herb. And now I read that butternut squash is actually a fruit! While you can’t bite directly into a butternut squash, — I imagine someone could, though they’d likely need dental surgery shortly thereafter — it makes for a great soup, side dish, or raw snack.
Before sharing a quick Alkaline recipe, here are some benefits of consuming butternut squash: a fruit-ton of vitamins and minerals that help with age-related conditions (such as Alzheimer’s disease), hydration, cellular protection from (cancer-causing) free radicals, and weight loss (soluble and insoluble fiber).
My favorite recipe is quite easy:
-peel, deseed…
if the terrorists were black but the terrorists wore black to cover white bodies when they stormed the white house guns in hand and armed i stand at my kitchen counter as goosebumps crawl up my skin my bullet holes are my skin the place white america inflicts its terror through the television and the news and the people who shouted things at me when i campaigned for clinton and this state with its white flag-toting people shouting at me from the overpass not even in my car driving to meet friends a client or my lover am i safe…
I.
The best surprises always come to us from the big city. It’s the kind of place where Manman holds my hand tighter than she does at the market near my school. Even though my fingers turn red every trip there, I like going because it means we get to see Papi. It’s called Port-au-Prince. When people from our village say the name, it sounds like pour-oh-prince.
II.
I feel Sonson sink deeper against the back of the outhouse. Why is it taking so long? This time when he pulls my excited right hand, he places it on the surprise…
When to wear it, and how to take it off.
Most people who meet me utter the same line: You’re such a happy person. I smile with them because the truth is, I am. While I’ve endured abuse and pain in my life, I tend to delight in moments, and I have the spirit of a young child encountering everything for the first time. As such, I exude joy.
While I don’t mind being typecast as happy, that label has caused me a great deal of stress this year, as I have become acquainted with my anger.
Understanding anger
Growing up, I was not really allowed to be upset. It’s not that…
I was born to a politician father and grew up in a country defined by revolution and resistance; I’ve had a lot of political discussions in my 28 years. Some have left me fuming with rage, and others have brought me to a place of profound sadness, but a recent conversation with my neighbor, from six feet apart, has left me with a unique feeling.
After spending an hour and a half touching all the hot-button political topics, he gifted me one squash, five Hungarian peppers, and seven lemon cucumbers.
This is encouraging. Not because I’ll start intense conversations about…
Flose LaPierre
Personal essays, short fiction, poetry, and experimental creative content. https://www.letitflose.com/
