Have you ever had someone write something horrible online that was to you, for you, or about you? You know, the sort of thing that most people (either out of a sense of politeness or sheer cowardice) would not say to your face, but have no problem saying online, for all the world to see? Yes, we’ve all read about […]
Recent Posts By Kristin van Ogtrop
Thoughts from the Magazine: January 2012
Imagine a stop sign. That’s what my mother always used to advise. When one of her daughters was struggling with an issue and heading down the path of frustration and hopelessness, she would say, “Imagine a stop sign.” It sounds so simple, it’s almost silly. But it can actually work. I come from a long, productive line of Super Worriers. […]
Do I Have to Refrigerate My Peanut Butter?
From the Pantry Head-Scratchers Department: For much of my life, my mother made me suffer through all-natural peanut butter. On apples, on celery, on toast, on sandwiches, you name it. It was “healthier,” “better for you,” “had no preservatives.” Of course, according to younger me, it was also “a giant pain,” “impossible to stir,” “too hard to spread half the […]
The Hardware Store: A Love Story
Over the weekend my youngest and I went to the little hardware store in my town, because I needed lightbulbs. There are many, many other (and cheaper) places where we could buy lightbulbs, but they seem to be staffed by people who don’t really care about selling me a lightbulb. Or maybe even know what a lightbulb is. However, my […]
Would You Rather Interact With a Human or a Machine?
This morning on the way to work I had to stop at the bank to deposit a check. I do not—ever—deposit checks by ATM, mostly because I don’t want to learn how to do it. (I know, I know: A trained monkey could probably learn how to deposit a check in the ATM in all of 7 minutes. But I […]
Are These Shoes Genius or a Complete Horror Show?
One of the things that is both most amazing and most maddening about Middle is that when he fixates on something, he never lets go. He is like a pit bull, or at least what I think pit bulls are supposed to be like, since people describe this sort of I’m-not-letting-go-till-I-get-my-way as acting “like a pit bull.” (Which makes me […]












