Columns

Peering Through the Fog of Fear

I’ve been on hiatus from writing about my SMA.  Truth be told, I’ve needed to break away from the constant reminder that SMA rules my life. When it wants to, SMA tosses banana peels into any gleaming trajectory I’m traveling. It kicks the sturdy platform from beneath my…

My Introduction to Death and Beyond

My first experience with the death of someone close to me came shortly after my 16th birthday.  A good friend since elementary school, Candy had moved to another state with her parents and younger sister during high school. They returned to Fort Worth, Texas, in early June for…

After Loss, Life Goes on for the Castens

Life has settled down in the Casten household. We are still mourning the loss of Potter, one of our dogs. Needless to say, we are showering our other dog, Ginny, with affection. Ginny misses her big brother and tends to mope around the house a bit.

My Days at Ye Olde Student Newspaper

On Super Bowl Sunday in 2013, I attended my first meeting at NC State’s student newspaper, Technician. I went on a whim with zero journalism experience. My only hope was to maybe write a few movie reviews for the publication. Little did I…

Embracing the Power of My Voice

Ever since I was a kid, some of my favorite actors have been those who weren’t always in front of the screen. Given my love of animation and motion capture technology, the way that people like Andy Serkis, James Earl Jones, and the late Robin Williams created so…

On Being in Tune with My Body

All my life I’ve been freakishly in tune with my body. It sounds like a great quality to have, right? I’ve always been hyperaware of my symptoms and can spot when something in my body feels off. This bodes well when it comes to viruses and other types of illnesses…

‘Mamba Mentality’: A Legacy Beyond Basketball

Anyone who knows me knows that sports are my favorite thing in the world. Although football is my most beloved sport, basketball has a more personal element to it. For starters, you can see the players more clearly, as they’re not covered with armor like in football. It’s also…

Breathing Easy for 2 Special Boys

After the delivery of our baby Jeffrey, I failed to notice his abdominal breathing. My husband, Randy, possessed both an eagle eye and the presence of mind to ask the doctor and nurses about it. No one on duty seemed concerned, perhaps because Jeffrey had arrived two weeks early.