Author Archives: Lisa Chesser

Then I See Red

Purple seems a state of grace. Cloaked in it, the world around you bleeds with creativity and honor. A smile isn’t just a smile, it’s a perspective. I see myself as someone I am. A struggle becomes a path, an enemy, a friend. Then I see red. Nothing in between. Just red. My goal has alwaysContinueContinue reading “Then I See Red”

Pain and Laughter Unite Us

Pain and laughter often go together. Almost simultaneously after a terrible argument, people laugh. If they don’t, they either continue with more pain or separate from each other, sometimes for good. I had a friend who, when confronted with difficult situations, laughed hysterically. I always hated it because she did it too much. She neverContinueContinue reading “Pain and Laughter Unite Us”

International Day of the Girl

Today my daughter spoke to a group of middle schoolers about bullying. She had originally created an anti-bullying campaign for the elementary students at her school. When the principal of the middle school saw the posters and asked her to speak to the middle schoolers, this ten-year-old girl spoke passionately about standing up for yourself andContinueContinue reading “International Day of the Girl”

Venezuela’s Avatars Remind Us to Vote

Sometimes our heroes live under the ground, having never even been written about. Sometimes our heroes live so far from us, we don’t even know who they are. Sometimes these heroes are just walking along the streets that no one else will walk. Sometimes our heroes need us to be heroes, speaking up, supporting them.ContinueContinue reading “Venezuela’s Avatars Remind Us to Vote”

Mission Accomplished

In the last post about Writer’s Bloq, I had announced I’d deliver snippets about the Kickstarter campaign all week long. But, by the next day, Writer’s Bloq met the goal of raising $15,000. Their Bloqparty Tour begins in Massachusetts then winds through New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, D.C., and right on over to New York. YouContinueContinue reading “Mission Accomplished”

Occupy Avoids Phantoms of Failure

The undercurrent of dreading the inevitable percolates beneath our heavy layer of cheap perfume. We fear becoming sick then losing our jobs or the other way around. It doesn’t matter because if one happens so will the other. Then, we’ll also lose healthcare. We fear so much that we accept too much. I look atContinueContinue reading “Occupy Avoids Phantoms of Failure”

The Little Christian Who Thinks He’s Jewish

With Yom Kippur coming up this Wednesday, my son reminds me that this teacher planning day is a Jewish holiday. He says, “Memember?” tugging on my shirt, looking up at me. Yes, I thought, I do. I remember it all. How could I ever forget? When he was turning four years old, I searched forContinueContinue reading “The Little Christian Who Thinks He’s Jewish”

Europe Without Email? Just a Dream

The stacks of paperwork stared at me, but it didn’t matter because I was going to Europe for my honeymoon. Bleak cubicles boxed me in, but my emails reminded me Europe was waiting. With both of us working fulltime at jobs that required 12-hour days, my fiancé and I could never have planned a honeymoonContinueContinue reading “Europe Without Email? Just a Dream”