It was 7:50 PM, and we were running through Times Square in New York trying to make an 8:00 PM show at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on 46th St. We had made the mistake of ordering dessert at dinner (I just had to have some tiramisu), thinking we would grab a cab to ferry us to the theatre in time. Big mistake. The cab was barely moving through the congested traffic, so we literally hopped out in the middle the street—me, my husband, sister, and friend from high school—and started wending our way … [Read more...] about Hold Hands With Strangers?
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This Improv Game Could Make You an A+ Communicator
You’re standing face to face. Your eyes are locked. You begin to tilt your head. Your partner follows. No, you’re not going in for a kiss. You’re playing an improv game called “The Mirror Exercise,” an acting game designed to teach people empathy—how to be in sync with others. It’s also a great way to improve your speaking skills, whether you’re talking one-on-one or speaking to a group. I first started using this improv exercise when I was teaching public speaking to high schoolers over 15 … [Read more...] about This Improv Game Could Make You an A+ Communicator
Empty Nesters
The house was eerily quiet this morning. After sitting on the porch for my usual early morning cup of coffee, I came back in and noticed the utter silence of the house—an empty, hollow feeling, like all the molecules of energy had been sucked out. Yesterday, my hubby Bill and I became empty nesters after we dropped our youngest off at college. I didn’t know our house could sound so quiet. Typically, I love silence. In our family, I’m known as the noise Nazi, especially when it comes to the … [Read more...] about Empty Nesters
What Are You Willing To Struggle For?
What a difference a question makes. I woke up this morning and immediately started in on my current litany of worry-wart woes. You’ve been there, right? Maybe it’s your kids or money or too much to do. But this morning as my stomach tightened with anxiety, I suddenly remembered two questions I had written down in the front of the book I was reading yesterday: “What pain do you want in your life? What are you willing to struggle for?” And there it was--the answer in those questions. I felt … [Read more...] about What Are You Willing To Struggle For?
Why I Memorize Poetry
As I looked out my bedroom window this morning, I was struck by the lovely jonquils "fluttering and dancing in the breeze." It reminded me of my freshman year of college when I fell in love with Wordsworth. It was my poetry class that Friday before Labor Day weekend. On the train ride back home for a brief Labor Day visit, I pulled out my Norton Anthology, flipped open to Wordsworth's section and started to memorize "I wandered lonely as a cloud/That floats on high o'er vales and hills,/When all … [Read more...] about Why I Memorize Poetry