Columns

A Surprising Start to 2019

Professional writing has always been a bit of a dream job. As a college freshman, I realized that my idea of writing didn’t exactly coincide with academic writing, which had me taking juvenile literature classes and, the bane of my existence in 2013, British literature courses.

Taking a New Approach to New Year’s Resolutions

Last week, I explained why I’m ditching the “new year, new you” mantra. Today, I’m keeping the conversation going by discussing my alternative to New Year’s resolutions. I’ve never been the type of person to set resolutions, and that’s for one simple reason: Life with SMA can…

The Cruelty and Complexity of SMA

In season five of the FX series “Sons of Anarchy,” main character Jax Teller (Charlie Hunnam) watches his best friend Opie (Ryan Hurst) die in a prison fight. It’s a brutal scene that features some of the show’s defining elements: Shakespearean drama, graphic violence, and…

The Year of the Philosopher King

Just like every year, I spent the last few days of 2018 and the first few days of 2019 reflecting on life; specifically, what my life has looked like until this point and what I want it to look like going forward. It seems like every…

Ella’s Hunger for Reading and Writing

Reading boosts children’s abilities to convey ideas, thoughts, and stories. Ella’s teachers maintain that kids should read at least 20 minutes per day, even on weekends. Kids often find a book they like in the beginning but then lose interest as they get…

Reflections on My Post-college Life

Two years ago, I had just graduated from college and I found myself filled with uncertainty about my future. As a physically disabled 23-year-old on Social Security with an English degree, even I joked about the likelihood of facing unemployment and being forced into academia for…

Balancing Brain and Body

It’s only 5:30 p.m., but it feels later, probably because I’m writing this in the back of my family’s van, the pitch black of Minnesota’s winter broken by car headlights and the occasional billboard. We’re on our way to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where we’ll be…