Letters to the Moon....

The United States is currently a divided nation. Close to half of the population of the United States cast their vote for the current President. However, more than half of the U.S. did not. While the other candidate won the popular vote, our current President won the electoral vote. Unfortunately, the current President ran his campaign-and won the election-on a platform of racial bias and hate. One of the tools that the President uses in his arsenal of hatred is broad brush statements. What is a broad brush statement? It is a term for making a broad statement with little regard to details or facts. It is likened to the imagery of using a large paint brush to apply paint to a large area. It is important to note that not all broad brush statements convey messages of hatred. It is also important to note that not all broad brush statements are true. For example, I could make a statement saying “All women eat tacos.” Or, “All men wear purple.” These are broad brush statements. ...

The full moon of the month of February is known as the Snow Moon. This is the month of the year when the most snow falls, in the Northern part of the United States. It is also known as The Hunger Moon, because of the difficulties of finding sources of food in the winter. In researching the snow moon, I happened upon an article on the Bustle website. They found other names for the February full moon: “In Chinese culture…February brought the Budding Moon;    meanwhile, Celtic people called it the Moon of Ice. In the Southern Hemisphere, where the seasons are switched, February is mid-summer; as such,  the host of moon names   used down there — Grain Moon, Sturgeon Moon, Red Moon, Wyrt Moon, Corn Moon, Dog Moon, Barley Moon — reference abundance instead. ” *Source: “What Does The Snow Moon Mean? The February Full Moon Is As Cold As Its Name Suggests” by Maddy Foley https://www.bustle.com/p/what-does-the-snow-moon-mean-the-february-full-moon-is-as-cold-as-it...

It has been a year since I came to know my sexual orientation-as a demisexual- and where that orientation lies both on the sexual and asexual spectrums. The word “demisexual”, or “demi” for short, can be defined as: “A person who only feels sexual attraction for another after a strong emotional bond has formed with that person. For many demisexuals, sexual attraction for another only occurs when they are in love with that person.” To discover how I identify, to come to know my truth, has been a profoundly empowering experience. It has put my entire life into perspective, and has brought me great joy. It makes complete sense for me. I am reminded by a quote from the late singer/songwriter George Michael, who hid his sexual orientation from the public for over a decade in the early part of his career: “It’s very hard to be proud of your own sexuality when it hasn’t brought you any joy. Once it is associated with joy, and love, it’s easy to be proud of who you are.” A yea...

The truly unthinkable has happened. Last Friday, the United States had its inauguration for the new President of the United States was sworn into office. I will not dignify the man in question by repeating his name here. I did not vote for him, and I do not feel he is fit to serve as the President. A dark cloud hung over the country that day, literally and figuratively. Rain showers covered the Washington D.C. area. It was if the weather mirrored the mood of the country that day. I dreaded the eventuality of that man becoming the next President of the United States. There were measures that could have been taken to ensure that the day would never come. However, those measures were not done. It was an inevitability. I was determined that I would have nothing to do with the inauguration. I remember that I woke up, turned on my television, and chose a TV station that would not be showing inauguration coverage. I did not want my television to show  I was watching it when...

This past Christmas I was given an unusual gift: a pendant with a photograph of the moon on it. More specifically, the pendant has a picture of the moon phase on the night I was born.  https://static.vecteezy.com/system/resources/previews/000/109/549/original/vector-flat-moon-phases-icons.jpg Along with the pendant, I received a card which revealed the traits indicative to a person born under that moon phase. Reading the card, and the personality traits contained, it was completely staggering to me. Every trait was true. It was more accurate than any personality test has ever been. It felt like I was reading a card all about me. Much like horoscopes, every phase of the moon has personality traits that accompany it. This brought to mind the full moon. Every month on the calendar has a different full moon, with a different name and personality traits attributed to them. The full moon for the month of January is known as the Wolf Moon. When the moon is full in the...

I greatly awaited the arrival of this year. After the last Presidential election in the U.S., I felt that the year could not end fast enough. I continued to feel that as the news was filled with reports of celebrity deaths. Last year was awful, for a many of reasons. Throwing away last year's calendars brought me such joy. I hung this year's calendars with a newfound optimism. As part of my yearly ritual, I do a year in review piece on the lessons I have learned in the past year. The last week of last year was not anything I was prepared for. As such, this list is a little late. However, the lessons are just as valid. Here then are the lessons I have learned from 2016. Lessons from 2016 The music in a song satisfy the musician in me; the lyrics satisfy the writer in me Trans rights are human rights. It is a profoundly empowering moment to find out what you truly are and to boldly speak your truth. Art doesn’t have to be perfect. But, I can try to make i...

2 016 has been a troubling year for many. Several friends of mine have lost multiple friends and family members this year. For those who have not had any personal losses, there have been multiple celebrity deaths this year. Many of those losses have felt extremely personal. Florence Henderson. Alan Thicke. Gene Wilder. Alan Rickman. Muhammad Ali. Harper Lee. Rene Angelil. Pat Conroy. Nancy Reagan. Gary Shandling. Patty Duke. Doris Roberts. Elie Wiesel. John Glenn. Zsa Zsa Gabor. Carrie Fisher. Glenn Frey. Bobby Vee. Merle Haggard. Leonard Cohen. David Bowie. Prince. Carrie Fisher. Her mother Debbie Reynolds the next day. Many have had their fill of this year. These celebrity deaths have cut to the quick. While many have never met the celebrity in question, their deaths can be just as traumatic as when a loved one passes away. Celebrities become a part of our lives. We can tie them to special moments in ours. When we learn of a celebrity passing, someone whose work meant a lot to us...