Speck On A Dot

Here's a pop quiz for you -  which of the two scenes below do you think is more likely? Scenario 1 - I open everything I get in the mail, and suddenly I am a happier person, paying lower interest, owning a better home (after selling the one I'm living in at an unbelievable price), have a home full of great stuff, bought with shiny new plastic, be better educated, and more relaxed. Or Option 2 - I yank my hair out in frustration at, the hours wasted ripping open bulky envelopes to make sure there's no personally identifiable info, a slew of paper-cuts crisscrossing my tough skin, a new batch of recycling every day, and a sinking feeling at the backlog of other chores. Any guesses? I know that to many of you, a version of option 2 hits close to the mark, frustration at the volume of junk mail we receive daily is a common complaint, yet, they keep coming, everyday in the mail. Fat, glossy, window envelopes, with sometimes too much knowledge about our lives (it's s...

Did you know that while you're going about your 8 hour work day, somewhere in the wilds of Africa, another Rhino is being killed and viciously mutilated? Or that someone in China is stirring rhino horn powder into a drink, while others look on in admiration and envy? I didn't...until now! In my ongoing evolution as a writer and a quest for more experience, I volunteer at a few nonprofits to help with their communication needs. I recently connected with and did a little work for a nonprofit called Nikela , a completely volunteer run public charity that is an incredible example of how people with passion and belief in a cause but limited funds can still make an impact in the world.  Started in 2010 by Margrit & Russ Harris, driven by a desire to support the extraordinary people trying to preserve African wildlife, Nikela helps by  “telling stories, raising some funds and doing what we can to support those who give their all to stop the rhino poaching, curb th...

  I often liken myself to a pack mule, a description my husband reluctantly agrees with… but before you start picturing a frail skinny creature, slave to a cruel overlord or the clichéd woman with a large handbag filled to bursting with a gazillion whatchamacallits and doodads let me clarify. That is how I look when I return from a list checking, efficient and comprehensive multi-store weekly grocery run. I hang my genetically broad shoulders (I kid myself by chalking it up to years of swimming) with 4, 5 and sometimes 6 reusable fabric bags, in a myriad of colors, filled to the brim with all the fuel needed to keep those shoulders and the body they're attached to, healthy for the next shopping trip. To maintain this self-perpetuating cycle, I keep reusable bags everywhere I might possibly need it - in the car, at home, in my handbag - so I never have to use one of the supermarket bags. Why do I put myself through that you ask? When I could just grab a bag at the store as I ne...

I am one of those weird exceptions who usually enjoys riding the subways ... even in NY. Fascinated by the idiosyncrasies of other passengers, astounded by the talent of the subway performers, not even the pervasive smell of damp, urine and a frequent sardine-like sensation can get me down. But come the winter, the smile more frequently turns to a frown, there's a drumming in my ears and a cacophony of angry thoughts and pain. Its not the freezing cold, the wind, the damp tunnels or the icy stairs that does it, but something far more primal.... the re-emergence of fur - not on a cuddly dog in a sweater and rubber socks with its leash all tangled up with its owners feet, or a cat curled up in the corner of its carrier shooting warning glances at the big clumsy two legged beings around her - but fur ripped off the bodies of its owners to create coats, stoles, hats... whatever.  Those are the times I fervently wish that we didn't live in such a so-called "civilized...

After almost 20 years, I’m giving writing another shot. It has always been my dream to be a writer, of course winning the Nobel prize for Literature and every other prize in writing simultaneously, features vividly in many episodes, but I’d be happy to just have a few friends read and join the conversation with me. Having studied literature and journalism in college, competed in local and national writing competitions in India (and sometimes winning) and continuing to devour books like they were on the brink of being snatched away, that would seem like an easy and natural transition. Not so much….my days so far have been occupied with treading a well-worn path: college, a corporate career, moving countries etc. etc…. and writing of any kind was limited to (in fact was preferred to be in) bullet points, PowerPoint presentations and of course way too many signatures. Call it a mid-life crisis, or just an inspired choice but I finally decided to make the time to focus on som...