Getting Motivated When You’re Not
I’m a political junkie. Last month when the GOP and DEM conventions were in full swing, I was completely distracted. I found it hard to get any work done. Days passed and my to-do list exploded. That got me to thinking about how to get motivated when you’ve gotten out of the swing of things. I wrote a blogpost about it for my career coaching site. And if you can relate to the situation, I hope you’ll check it out here –
Illustration by Wendy MacNaughton
The Elevation of Single Life
Earlier this year, Rebecca Traister wrote in New York Magazine about the rising political clout of single women. I especially loved the illustration that accompanied it. And today, there’s a new article exploring the science of people who never married. Within it is an interview with Dr. Bella DePaulo, a good friend of First Person Singular, who is one of the few social scientists exploring the subject. (My essay, Goodbye to the Spinster is featured in one of Bella’s books.) We already live the truth that you can be single and satisfied. Now, everyone else is finally starting to catch up.
Neon by Jeppe Hein
How Do You Start Your Morning?
Because I’m a lousy sleeper, I stay away from coffee. My morning routine begins with Earl Grey tea. How about you?
Napkin by Christoph Niemann
Bring Home the Bacon
I grew up in a Kosher home, which meant I couldn’t eat pork. My mother had a modern approach, and there were exceptions. We were allowed to partake of barbecued spare ribs in a Chinese restaurant. And whenever I went for sleepovers at my friends houses, I hoped there would be bacon and eggs for breakfast. These days, I’m no longer kosher, because it’s hard to imagine life without prosciutto.
Handmade bacon rug by Surfacewerks
The Wedding That Gave Me Hope
Yesterday, I attended a spectacular wedding. I’m not especially a wedding fan, so you know I don’t say this lightly. It was a very intimate affair – about 30 people. And it was at a friend’s beautiful, rustic home in Santa Barbara. There was no wedding planner – all the artful decorations were handmade by the talented bride and groom. He is from Los Angeles, she is Japanese, and the ceremony seamlessly blended their Jewish and Shinto faiths and cultures. We sipped sake and danced the hora, ate lox and sushi. By the end of the afternoon, all of our hearts were bursting with love. And I believe that together, through their union, this couple will make the world a better place. Sometimes at weddings, I feel a longing or sadness. But this time, only optimism and hope.
What Are You Reading? – Summer 2016 edition
In the window of Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena – from Guptaviolin
Archive for August, 2016
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FIRST PERSON SINGULAR is a guide to surviving, thriving and sometimes just getting through a single day. Created by Wendy Braitman (more…)
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