It took a global pandemic for me to finally let go of some unhealthy thinking. — Three years and one day ago, I walked an eery mile from work to the building I used to call home. Holding an external monitor under one arm and a keyboard, folders, and binders under the other while trailing a tangle of cords and wires, I looked like I’d just…

And can this 8-point scale heal our contemptuous chasm? — If you watched the State of The Union last month, I don’t need to tell you there were moments it felt more like the British Parliament (or perhaps a school playground?) than a gathering of people elected to the highest offices in the United States. So I read with interest…

A lifestyle I thought would last a few months is now taking me overseas. — For all the jokes about the inability to measure time in the COVID era, I truly find myself needing to quadruple check how long it’s been since November 2021 when I published this story: Finding the Other 6/7ths of Myself “Caminante, no hay camino; se hace camino al andar.” Here’s a glimpse into the road I’ve made since a massive change…piperhendricks.medium.com

A quick PSA about this wonderful contraction. — I grew up in the South of the United States where we like our stories tall but our words short. Why say “I’m about to head over to the store” when “I’m fixin’ tahgo” is available? Why ask “did you eat yet” when “dijeetyet” is an option? I spent much…

Look up for just a moment to read this. — There’s a passage from Lisa Halliday’s Asymmetry that I found so stunning — and sobering — that I dictated it (hopefully with punctuation intact) into the chorus of reminders set in my phone at varying intervals. …

The messaging wizards behind the curtain need your help to share what matters. — As someone who aspires to be an “inbox zero hero,” I am an unlikely source for the following message. But in 2023, it’s a vital one and people working to make the world a more fair, just, and peaceful place need your help. I’m referring here to my fellow communications…

Changing identities have shifted us from a relay race to a boxing match — but we have a choice in where we go from here. — On this final February Friday, I ask you to find 11 minutes and 54 seconds over the weekend to watch something important. If you live in the United States (and likely even if you don’t), you know that the divisions in this country have intensified over the past several decades…

How removing this word from your vocabulary can remove pressure you never needed in the first place. — “Yeah, I really didn’t show up as my best self then,” I casually tossed out to my closest friend earlier this year. Weeks later, I’m still thinking about his response: “What is ‘best?’ And does constantly aiming for it get tiring?” Wowzah. As a recovering perfectionist, I admit that this…

When I was four years old, I wandered into the kitchen and headed directly toward a hot stovetop. My mom called out in no uncertain terms not to touch the burner but, before she could reach me, that’s precisely what I did. …