Live and Loud: Seeing Metallica with My Kids

Back in 1988, or maybe it was ’89, the sentiment was clear. Do not listen to that music. Heavy metal was dangerous, they said. Corrupting. The devil’s music. But I was ten years old, curious and alive, and I noticed who listened to Metallica. The older kids. The ones who seemed to understand something the […]

The Joy in Painting Something Sad

There’s a moment when the paintbrush meets the canvas, and time slows. Your hand moves instinctively, and the colors you choose are not bright, nor do they lift your spirit. But that isn’t the point. The colors are deep, muted blues, earthy grays, and worn-out shades of brown. There’s something incredibly profound about painting something […]

Why I Love Friday the 13th & The Allure of an Unlucky Day

There’s something about Friday the 13th that draws me in, something magnetic in the way it stirs up fear, superstition, and curiosity all at once. Maybe it’s because I was born on Friday the 13th, so I’ve always felt a personal connection to the day—one that transcends its spooky reputation. There’s a strange, enchanting allure […]

Fear, Sadness, and the Art of Resilience

There’s something about a ghost story that lingers long after the final sentence. It’s not just the ghosts that haunt the page, but the way it seeps into the quiet spaces of your mind, stirring a sense of unease that clings to you, even in daylight. You close the book, or the credits roll, and […]