Why does life have to be like an episode of Friends? — That classic scene from Friends always makes me laugh. Ross and Rachel trying to move a too-big sofa up a right-angle staircase…it was one of the show’s funniest episodes. Real-life moves are anything but funny. I’m currently sitting on my front stoop, the light from my cell phone the only…

I paid my dues. I’m being slighted in the nastiest way. — I’ve been at my current job for almost seven years, with a total of 20 years in the industry. In those seven years, I’ve earned my company tens of millions of dollars through my own effort, plus hundreds of millions more through the team of incredibly talented professionals that work…

The Cure for My Insomnia Might Just Kill Me — I sometimes mention in my writing that I’m an insomniac. Now, I’m not just some casual, two-dollar, every-now-and-then kind of insomniac. I’m a 37-year, card-carrying insomniac who has spent more time trying to sleep than actually sleeping since I turned 15. I’ve learned how to live in a world full…

And I feel just terrible about it — It’s right there, on the can, in big, bold letters: “DANGER: INTENTIONAL MISUSE OR DELIBERATELY INHALING CONTENTS CAN BE FATAL.” Now, for most of us, that’s a scary enough warning to keep us from ever trying it, but for some unlucky few, it’s a challenge. They say you can become…

Learning the truth about my marriage to an abuser — The day I got engaged was kind of weird. I had broken up with my then-boyfriend, with whom I’d been living for a while, and I was crashing at my mother’s house while I figured out my next move — a humbling experience for a woman in her mid-40s. I…

How did I live my life before Prime One-Day Delivery? — Yesterday, someone knocked on my door and I had to get up from a meeting to answer it. It was the Amazon guy. He hadn’t delivered anything to my house in a few days, and he just wanted to make sure I wasn’t dead. In my Medium footer/bio, I have…

Lessons from Past Jobs that Keep Me Grounded — I once worked for the Boss From Hell. I guess we all have, at one point or another, right? She was based at our headquarters in another state, and as I worked out of a local office, I didn’t see her very often. We had regular team meetings where she…

I’m not crying, you’re crying I can’t even begin to unpack my feelings about the death of Roe v. Wade today, so I’m going to count my blessings instead, mainly this one: I am officially old enough to NOT need an abortion. Thank GOD. However, my personal triumph over my…

A Few Words on Vulnerability — I’ve had more fortune told, and my palm read, several times in my life. I don’t put a lot of faith in the metaphysical and divination, at least not as a business practice. It seems to me that those who tell fortunes usually offer such vague descriptions, which might apply…