http://beckyblanton.com writer, photographer, designer Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:04:49 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en If you begin to face your fears, something bittersweet is going to happen to you: You'll grow up. You'll lose your dependency on the grown-ups of the world because you'll realize that there is no time, no age, at which fear suddenly fades and you become one of these impervious ... http://beckyblanton.com/1135/grow-up/ On any given weekend in a million backyards, parking lots, empty fields and sun-baked pastures they gather to worship at the altar of the remarkable, unusual and cheap. Antique hunters, both self-proclaimed and by profession; full-time mechanics and the shade-tree version of handy-with-a-wrench, roam the aisles for bargains, for treasure, ... http://beckyblanton.com/1130/are-you-a-rock-collector-or-geologist/ A few summers ago I was visiting Maine and stopped in a small campground office. On the walls of the office were posters with crabs and lobsters on them. Not unusual, except there was a big red circle with the universal slash through it to indicate "No Crabs, No Lobsters." ... http://beckyblanton.com/1127/are-you-a-panda-or-a-crab/ I still have to sign the contracts, get my marching orders and the usual stuff you do when you get a new job, but I've just become a hired blogger. It looks like I'll be writing once or twice a week for Change.org's website on homelessness. I'm joining a great ... http://beckyblanton.com/1123/its-practically-official/ Rex Williams, a friend of mine, and his daughter and her troop sold Girl Scout Cookies last week. That's Sydney, Rex's daughter, in the photo. Prior to the "the big day" several of us in a social media group were talking about ways to make the experience a positive one ... http://beckyblanton.com/1118/its-not-about-the-girl-scout-cookies/ Christopher Scott Emmett was convicted in October 2001 of the April 27, 2001, capital murder and robbery of his co-worker, John Langley, in Danville, Virginia. On November 2, 2001, Emmett was sentenced to death. On May 30, 2007 I received word that I was one of the media selected to ... http://beckyblanton.com/1114/its-in-the-eyes/ “Child sexual abuse is a hidden but significant problem in every community in America. Experts estimate that one in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused before their 18th birthday. Less than one in ten will tell. Research clearly shows that individuals who are sexually abused ... http://beckyblanton.com/1108/how-do-you-%e2%80%9dout%e2%80%9c-a-child-molester/ Jay Schafer is ready to go to jail to defend America's right to live in a small house. Seriously. For nearly 14 years this founder of Tumbleweed Tiny Houses has led what he calls “My aggressive pacifist's campaign to make the built world a smaller place.” He's been on ... http://beckyblanton.com/1105/jay-schafer-going-to-jail-for-small-houses/ Chances are very good that snowboarder Kevin Pearce, critically injured in a training accident will return to snowboarding. He may even go on to win a Gold medal one day. Pearce, thought to be a possible gold medal winner in the Vancouver Winter Olympics didn't compete this year. He struck ... http://beckyblanton.com/1094/what-motivates-us/ I really enjoy reading other people's blogs. And one of my favorites is Peggy Pepper Wilkerson's blog. She recently asked her readers if Self-Love was Self-ish. Her answer was “No.” She says, in part: “... not loving and caring for ourselves first, is the fastest path to one of the biggest ... http://beckyblanton.com/1098/loving-the-self/ I'm never going to have a happy childhood. And guess what? If you didn't have one, you aren't going to have one either. If you were abused, betrayed, abandoned, beaten, ignored or set aside so your parent(s) could tend to a terminally ill sibling that's what you got. It sucks. ... http://beckyblanton.com/1086/staying-hungry-never-settle/ “I've got to have this or I'll just die!“ she wailed. For ten minutes this seven-year old grabbed things off the shelves at Target and repeatedly, almost non-stop, said, ”I've got to have this or I'll just die. I've got to have THIS or I'll die.“ She only stopped long ... http://beckyblanton.com/1083/ill-just-die/ “The difference between the right word and the almost-right word is the difference between the lightning and the lightning bug.” — Mark Twain People often ask me if I have a writing group or other resource I turn to my muse falls asleep or goes on vacation. I do. I have several ... http://beckyblanton.com/1076/tom-bentley-writer-comedian-friend/ “True Life is lived when tiny choices are made. Tiny choices mean tiny changes. But it is only with infinitesimal change, changes so small no one even realizes you’re making them, that you have any hope for transformation" ~ Leo Tolstoy ” My life totally changed when I realized everything I ... http://beckyblanton.com/1073/choices/ There's a big push on the internet to give things away - content, music, services. It's creating a trend where people are beginning to get angry when they're expected to pay for something...Somewhere along the line the meaning of that old saying that, ”There's no such thing as a free ... http://beckyblanton.com/1063/free-or-not/