There are myriad ways to start the day – for some it’s coffee, tea or even soda for a jolt of caffeine. Others enjoy a cold shower or ice bath. I’ve tried the icy shower – no joy found in that first thing in the morning. How I begin my day sets the tone for the rest of it. A slow, unfocused morning usually leads to an unproductive day. So I w …
“Have your people call my people” – one of those catch phrases that I’ve heard over the years and never paid much attention to until recently when I noticed that there are no “people”. The “people” have been replaced by scheduling apps. I am intentional when it comes to my calendar – perhaps it’s a control thing - but I also appreciate the many …
For years I have been part of a study group that explores ancients texts. It serves as a religious exercise, a connection to our history, and for me it serves as an exercise in self-exploration. At times we have spent an hour focused on the meaning of one word and how it might apply to modern life. Recently we studied a passage focused on bles …
For the past 5 years I’ve participated in a “Pumpkin Project.” It started with my team and expanded from there. We get a pumpkin and every day during the month of October we write something for which we are grateful. Some of us post ours on social media, some don’t. I do, and on October 31st I carve it and turn it into a jack-o-lantern for its …
When I decided to go to law school despite having two young kids and no money, I was told I’d never make it. I did make it, and I made it Cum Laude. When I started my business, I was told I’d never be able to build a J+ Franchise in NYC – nobody had been able to do that. I did build it, and it’s been going strong for over 16 years! When I was …
New York City is a city of neighborhoods, each distinct yet inextricably linked to the others, a clear example of the “whole being greater than the sum of its parts.” The borders are sometimes stark and other times blurred – they create containers for myriad human activities. At the core, neighborhoods are all about the people who live in them an …
The end of summer? I’ve heard people talk about it for weeks even as the temperatures stayed up in the 80s. For some, summer “ends” when school starts. For others, Labor Day or the end of rental season in the Hamptons (a New York thing) marks "the end." When I was a kid the summer seemed to go on forever; now the months seem to fly by between …
It intrigues me that there are people who still believe the earth is flat AND they have arguments to support their belief. I saw the movie “Moneyball again last week and was reminded of the friction between intuition and science. We humans are hardwired to be suspicious of new things – our intuition and instinct for survival lean away from the …
I love summer - fresh air coming through open windows! I’ve always seen air conditioning as an unnecessary convenience – not good for the environment and not necessary for me. When we lived in Florida, we were on the water and had the ocean breeze. I only turned on the a/c occasionally to dry things out and prevent mildew. In my UWS apartment, …
Making the move from the City with its bright lights, noise, and crowds to a urban residential neighborhood where I can see the stars, hear the sounds of birds singing songs I’ve never heard before, was a wonderful opportunity for change. Neither here nor there is better – they’re just different. I still have parks that offer an opportunity …
I start most days early and almost all of my work – in fact a good bit of my life - is online via phone, zoom, and various chats and apps. To connect with the West Coast, I am often online at night too, making for long and productive days. My time spent looking at the screen - both on the phone and computer - has gotten longer. Picking up and looki …
As kids we learned about four seasons: Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring. We even had a TV character named Princess Summerfall Winterspring Seasons are how we mark time. Ecclesiastes made note of seasons - The Byrds memorialized seasons in song. The seasons offer some degree of certainty – predictable cycles. Over time we seem to have acquired …
Running has been part of my personal narrative for decades. Years ago it was 30 minutes on the “dreadmill” enduring boredom to build strength and endurance. When I moved to NYC, running became a way to get outside in nature, challenging myself to run all year irrespective of the weather. Never boring - always a source of satisfaction. I now g …
Detroit Lions - I am from Detroit so they were my first team and I'm still a fan. Detroit is a good place to be from – it never felt like home thought despite being my place of birth and locus for 3 decades. I dreamed about living in New York City. DC and Florida – I lived there, owned property and yet always felt like I was passing through. Th …
U-Hauls, national van lines, flat rate, even a "man with a van" – I’ve used them all for my over 20 moves across 3 states and the District of Columbia. The “to do “ lists have been pretty much the same, although each move had its unique challenges. My recent move wash by far the smoothest of all thanks in large part to technology – pretty much e …
shelleygram™
