Tackling the streets
Unspoken physical challenges 

More than a year has passed since I eagerly battled the streets of Chiang Mai. I was always traipsing through the city - embracing new challenges and exciting discoveries. Each adventure provided something I could grasp and welcome into my private world. I miss the walks with an open agenda. Finally, I silently scream - enough

Burned and Frayed
You will not steal my trust 

I lie alone for hours - disoriented - not knowing what to anticipate. I relive my abrupt detour. This derailment is not my first, and I am aware of the arduous journey ahead: one I follow with relentless determination. A smooth recovery is in the hands of an assigned team of caregivers. You walk into my life during a time I am

Imprinted - the stamp of death
Walking through the crowd    

I hear soft voices above me as I roam through our living room, dining room, kitchen, and den. I do not understand what anybody is saying or why so many people are in my home. Hands surround me - all sizes and some scary. I love my parents and sisters holding me, but I cannot find them. I am alone - afraid.

Every day: lunch at noon sharp
At peace eating alone

This curious woman at the nearby market makes a purposeful effort to isolate herself from everybody - both customers and vendors - only the server is barely spared. Careful to protect her privacy, she hides the small stools scattered around deep underneath the low table. She also spreads out her food and condiments

Hello, how are you?
I am here to listen and care

People fascinate me - the more offbeat, the better. Peculiar quirks captivate and ignite my imagination. Not familiar with their backstory provides the freedom to invent one. I am a collector of idiosyncrasies. At some point, I will select from a menagerie of oddities stored in the appropriate inspiration tank and

Passage of Time
Tick-Tock Tick-Tock

Birthdays come and birthdays go. Holidays come and holidays go. No matter what we do, we cannot capture time - it escapes untamed. While I know and can appreciate the many who celebrate meaningful occasions with abandon, this is a foreign concept in my world - other than when it was part of my job description at

The Harmonica Player
Disappears Without an Adieu

I walk in front of the mysterious gated property daily. At some unknown point, I hear the vibrato sounds of a harmonica seeping through the tall grass, successfully hiding the musician who plays incessantly. I desperately want to meet him but dare not approach the private space he conscientiously created. I choose to stroll by him nonchalantly without

Lady Hannah Rules
Past and Present - Atlanta

Plans - what plans? Leaving Bloomingdale's and New York City was not well thought out. My departure was an impulsive reaction to work burnout. Although I gave ample notice, I did not strategize my next steps. I was a do-then-deal person: a significant character flaw. It was not uncommon for me to allow an emotion to simmer, then bam - do it! And if I landed in