...that I may need to date just so I can avoid the routine description of a serial killer ‘unsub’ on Criminal Minds—white male, lives alone, changes jobs frequently, antisocial. Eek.

...that a more effective approach to shame is mockery.

...that a few bad apples only spoil the barrel if you let them. Most of those apples are pretty good and tasty.

...that the secret to a successful day is the flexibility to pivot when things go sideways.

...that treating people with the same respect you would like for yourself isn’t difficult as long as you don’t expect the same treatment in return.

...that old age as a concept has little to do with the slowing of the body and far more to do with the decay of curiosity.

...that a mullet on a man is silly but a mullet on a woman is an aggressive statement of independence and empowerment in the shadow of the patriarchy.

...that, if grit and industry is something you respect, you have to hand it to thieves who steal catalytic converters because at least they aren’t sitting on the sidewalk with a cup.

...that a long walk in a neighborhood you’ve done a million things in is both a reminder of times gone by and a call for something new on old ground.

...that each of us is defined in large and small ways by the people we choose to have in our lives. Be discriminating and choose wisely.