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Barbara is fearful of bats and things that crawl. She can peg the bat phobia to her Maine sleep-away camp days when they were commonplace in their bunks because of the many pine trees outdoors. They ducked under their sheets and blankets and prayed they wouldn’t get into their hair. A recent sighting in her home sent her flying, literally, not under the covers but into another room. She now has a bat/wildlife expert on her speed dial. She also has a pest control company that visits every other month for the creepy crawlies that periodically show up but mostly...

A childhood friend recently shared that she’s feeling very lonely. It’s understandable since her former husband, with whom she had developed a good relationship, recently died, her only daughter is grown and getting married, and several of her closest friends have moved away. I sympathized and was so glad she was willing to be open so I could try to help. So many feel it’s a failure to admit such feelings. In this case, I quickly jumped in and shared that I would try to include her as much as I could in social situations, and she should come visit...

Most of us have experienced this sight: you’re in traffic at a busy intersection and a down-on-his-luck-person in torn clothing sometimes limping or using a walker is zig zagging up and down and through the lines of cars and asking for money. Most of us ignore the person because we feel uncomfortable or annoyed. It’s easy to become inured to their plight. Occasionally, someone will give by reaching out a window dangling a dollar bill or loose change. Some people even hand them food.  It was a searingly hot, humid St. Louis August morning when I recently was driving into...

A paper trail can be useful when you need proof of a purchase, want to save a phone number or address or keep something kind or special someone has written to you. There’s a downside, however. Sometimes, the written word or more likely words that touch on touchy subjects or unclarified plans may lead to misunderstandings, hard feelings and worse—even the end of a friendship or relationship. It’s hard to take back words once put down on paper or in an email when written with an angry edge--or an edge that’s interpreted that way.  When two people speak on the...

Nobody likes a snob—except, perhaps, other snobs. Yet, on some level, there’s a bit of snobbery in each of us.  The topic came up after Margaret reread recently Little Dorrit, a Dicken’s novel that satirizes the British class system with its hierarchy and titles. This got us thinking about what it means to be a snob. Down deep, we think snobbery is borne of insecurity that surfaces as the “I am better than you” syndrome. Put someone down and maybe you feel better. Or do you?  Snobs come in a variety of shapes, sizes and forms. There are wine snobs....