Columns

Sometimes, something I write touches a button in readers and motivates them to respond. And I never know which thought will bring that response.

That was the case with a past column where I wrote:

"The thought comes to me that 'by myself' is not the same as 'alone.' Somehow, alone sounds lonely, but 'by myself' is just the beginning of exploration."

It was a column about enjoying a dreary day, not about being alone. But that sentence struck a chord with four readers who sent e-mails to share their experiences of being alone.

"What do you want to be when you grow up?"

How many times were we asked that question as kids? It's kind of funny to remember some of our answers. I bet most of us haven't followed through on those childhood ambitions.

Of course, kids think big and have some pretty sophisticated career plans. We all had friends who had dreams of being a princess, or a cowboy, or a professional wrestler. As we get older, we have to get serious. There aren't too many degree programs out there for pro wrestlers. So with that hope dashed, it's time to move on to Plan B.

I wonder if you happen to catch Jon Stewart's "Daily Show" monologue on the race in Massachusetts hours before the election where he practically predicted Scott Brown's defeat of Martha Coakley in the special election to fill the late Senator Edward "Ted" Kennedy's seat.

It was a very funny bit before even the first vote was cast, but it was a good prediction of what was to come the next day.

Marriage is easy. Divorce is hard.

That was the message in the information packet that was given to us when we applied for a marriage license.

To tell the truth, it seemed a bit odd to be given information about divorce when we applied for a marriage license.

Before we went to the courthouse, we thought the application process would be one of those warm, fuzzy moments like we had when we picked out our wedding rings. It was far from that.