SCAD surprises students at Sarah Smith Elementary with major donation of art supplies and books

SCAD surprises students at Sarah Smith Elementary with major donation of art supplies and books

Baracula: Political and Presidential Halloween Masks

I usually get a kick out of seeing political and presidential Halloween masks. I laugh opening the door to trick-or-treaters wearing a Hillary Clinton, Bush, Sarah Palin, or Barack Obama mask, and gladly give them candy. However, the latest mask of our 44th President of the United States made me more than a little bit uncomfortable. It is a President Obama mask depicting him as a demon.

Flashbacks of blackfaced college students at fraternity Halloween parties filled my head, and Ku Klux Klan white sheeted costumes blurred my vision. Our three-year-old son hid behind me when I enhanced the demonized “Baracula” mask on the computer screen. “Mommy is that Barack Obama?” he shrieked, looking at the screen with his arms wrapped around me.

My husband thinks I’m overreacting, but I believe this zombie mask depiction of our 44th President is distasteful and borderline racist.

Published in Elephant Journal

Optimistic People Live Longer : I See the Glass As Half Full

My co-workers often comment on how cheerful I am in the office. I've learned to tone down my enthusiasm around some of them that arrive at 8:30 a.m., but wheels don't turn until about noon. I attribute my cheerfulness to my rah-rah years of being a cheerleader at Boulder High School, which has resulted in me having a permanent smile on my face. This is not to be confused with Batman's Joker's smile, because that's a bit scary. I tend to always see the glass as half full, and truly believe my positive outlook on life keeps me motivated on a daily basis. I recently read an article that said that optimistic people live longer and have healthier lives. I would have to agree.

I was flattered when recently, a young professional came up to me at a conference and said, "I really admire you, because you seem to have it all together. How do you do it?" I laughed and replied, "It's all a facade." Her mouth hung open and she caught a couple of fly's. I grinned and said, "I was only kidding and that I try to stay positive and optimistic when handling my work/life balance."

Life in general has its curve balls, but if you take each day one at a time and try to see the good in every situation, then you'll be on your way to living a healthier and happier life. I think sometimes people take themselves and situations too seriously. Uptight people need to relax and pessimists should take up yoga and just breath.

Published in Elephant Journal