First Person Singular by Wendy Braitman

Upside of Being Single #451

Cartoon by Victoria Roberts for The New Yorker

Meal Sharing

At a restaurant this week, I had breakfast with a couple who recently got engaged. While we were perusing the menu, they started negotiating about what selections they could share. She wanted one thing, he wanted another. But they were trying to come up with items that would please both of them. It was one of those moments that I was happy to be single. I got to choose my meal without interference or compromise.

Knitted breakfast by Jessica Dance

Deluge

We’re at the start of an unusual 4-day rainstorm in L.A. and the ground is seeping. Rose, my 14-year old dog is quite content to stay indoors. Not used to being hampered by weather, I’m already getting restless.

Illustration by Tracy J Lee

Aha Moment

The last time I had an aha moment was when I decided to become a Career Coach. It was during a lunch with a friend who was describing a coaching training in which he’d just enrolled, and it was as if a jolt of electricity went through my body. In a flash, I knew the next path of my professional life. In reality, that aha moment was years in the making, but the sudden clarity felt exhilarating. Have you had that experience?

Photo by Katie Paterson

Manufactured Crisis

This is breaking my heart.

Illustration by Oliver Jeffers

Make Your Unknown Known

Illustration by Designcrush

Staying Engaged

These days, I find myself a lot less bored. I’ve come up with 2 explanations:

1. I’m now more appreciative of each passing moment.
2. I put myself in fewer boring situations

What bores you the most?

Photo by Jaime Rojo at Brooklyn Street Art

Post-holiday Menu

When I was kid, I was a picky eater, just like my Dad. There was a dividing line in the family. While my mom and brother would scarf down exotic things like green beans and lamb chops, Dad and I only hungered for toast and chocolate ice cream. As a growing child that wasn’t an option, so the compromise for school lunches was peanut butter and jelly. I consumed that sandwich every day for years, and never got tired of it. After all the rich food this holiday season, I’m ready to get back to basics.

Painting of pb&j by Oriana Ingber

Madame Speaker

Nancy Pelosi makes history, again.

Good Intentions

I hope your first week of 2019 is going well, or at least isn’t too wobbly. For my Career Coaching site, in honor of the season, I’ve written about New Year’s resolutions and how to make them really work. If you have an interest in the subject, check it out here –

Cartoon for The New Yorker by Kim Warp