I’m not prone to displays of emotion—public or private—which is why I was surprised to find myself welling up with tears at Target the other day. It wasn’t the diversity of 99 cent knickknacks or the intoxicating smell of buttered popcorn that got me going. No, it was that song. The pink elephant on the […]
The Meaning of Life
“He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.” – Friedrich Nietzsche The year is 2078, and I am in a haze of morphine, barely conscious. In the next few hours, my brain activity will cease and my heart will stop—I will die. Bummer. When I imagine my own death, it puts my […]
One Hour per Month, or The Beauty of Financial Automation
Happy New Year, my friends! Here in Western Pennsylvania, January has been testicle-retracting cold, even in the warmest of slacks. Our family is only now recovering from a holiday filled with guests and roasts and toasts. We celebrated the raucous New Year’s Eve of 30-something parents everywhere: too much food, a couple glasses of bubbly, […]
Why I Travel (And You Should Too)
Every December, there’s really only one thing on my grown-up Christmas list. I don’t want socks (although mine have holes) nor underwear (holes too). You can’t find my gift at Target or Yankee Candle Company. Number one on my wish list is not a what, but a where: the gift of travel. Selfishly, I usually […]
The Unhappy Pursuit of Happiness
I am on a walk. It’s a beautiful, sunny day and I happen upon a field of glorious wildflowers! The intoxicating smell of the nice-smelling flowers (I don’t know flower names) fills my nose, and makes me happy. My family is with me on this walk. We are on vacation in a warm, sunny place, and […]
To My Friends Without Children
Dear Friends, I have not seen many of you in quite some time. It’s not because I don’t want to, or I don’t enjoy your company. I have two children. If you had children too, you would fully understand, and nod your head with a grimace and a knowing smile. But you don’t, so I owe […]
Should I Intentionally Change My Personality?
“That guy is an asshole.” We all know that guy. Maybe he is a friend from high school. Maybe he is your older brother. Maybe he is you. That guy has been an asshole all his adult life. He never changes. But then, one day, he does. You meet him in the K-mart parking lot, […]
Ins and Outs and Ups and Downs of a Private Home Sale
2017 has been an expensive year in the Curious household. First, we had a baby! As a high income family, we can expect to spend $372,210 raising our child through age 17. That doesn’t count college, with estimates for a 4-year, private education at $500,000+ when our infant starts college in about 17 years. Yikes! Then, we hired a […]
Best Future Career: Doctor, Engineer, or Plumber?
When I was a child, I could think of nothing more awesome than becoming a mountain climber. My aspirations were largely due to a large cliff we would often drive past, sheer and rocky in the summer and covered with huge icicles in the winter. I told my parents of my aspirations frequently. To their […]
What Is Your Well-Being Index?
I am awake with the possums and raccoons this week for my periodic week of night shift. Removed from the chaos of a house with young children, and from the daylight, my hospital office is quiet, dark, and deep. These weeks are disruptive, not only to my circadian rhythm, but also to my whole family’s schedule. […]
Life Lessons From My 4-month-old
Adult life is complicated and sometimes crappy. In the Curious household, we have hit one of life’s inevitable rough patches over the last few weeks. Nothing too serious, and first-world problems for the most part, but still enough to cause significant stress, exhaustion, and a few tears in both children and adults. Life is much […]
Level Up Your Retirement
I played a lot of video games as a kid. My loyalties were to Nintendo—and almost exclusively the early, original Nintendo games. I’m talking Super Mario Brothers, The Legend of Zelda, and Contra, to name a few of my former faves. When I started college and especially medical school, my free time evaporated quickly along with […]