Book review: Pat Sanders, "I left my voice on the dining room table"

5 stars

Sanders has written an invaluable resource for cancer patients and those who support them. Her ordeal with two different cancers, one of which took her powers of speech in the early to mid 1990s, is dealt with in a clear eyed conversational way. Yet the sometimes horrific details are not glossed over. The bulk of the story and the most valuable part concerns her ongoing recovery with all the fierce struggles and unexpected help of newly formed online support groups in which she becomes very active. Cancer patients and caregivers should read this story and take hope from it. I certainly have.

unbalanced people accomplish more

"...work-life balance is bullshit. People who are trying to achieve greatness in their lives do not actually have balance. Do you need to have self care? Of course. Do you need to honor your loved ones and have priorities? Yes. But we only have 24 hours in the day. Do you think Beyoncé or Bill Gates have balance? No. I think we have to be very honest about this “balance” conversation. If your goal is to be home at night with your kids, that’s totally valid and you should go for it, knowing that it’s going to come at some expense. Similarly, training for a marathon is going to come with a sacrifice of time. You’re going to have to say “no” to social engagements. You’re going to have to prioritize the run."

True, so true.  Read the whole thing here:

https://elemental.medium.com/why-robin-arz%C3%B3n-pelotons-vp-of-fitness-thinks-balance-is-bullshit-ec90559e4086

cross-posted for my own thoughts

One month after I left, I slept with the first man who wasn’t my husband. I slept with him so I could burn my old life to the ground. So I could never look back.

from https://gay.medium.com/sex-after-jesus-b13e9f295d1d

by Lyz Lenz

generalists

http://www.arnoldkling.com/blog/what-im-reading-35/

Maybe I was a little ahead of my time in my educational choices?  While my job title has often included the word "specialist," my preference would be to consider myself a generalist.  I majored in English back in the early and mid-1980s at least in part because it was the widest ranging, most general major I could find.  It allowed me to dip into everything from accounting classes to journalism to computer science while drinking deeply in the large pool of English literature.  Generalism is probably a healthy stance to take.  I see it as being in a room with lots and lots of doors, none of them locked to me because I have a master key.

David Epstein's book, "Range" is on my list of things I want to read for this very reason.

Six word essay number thirteen

Dark rain, both inside and outside.

Six word essay number twelve

Someone else, but not me, why?

six word essay number eleven

Two years gone and I'm lucky