Getting It Right: The Sport of Kings

The classiest tennis player ever.

“The depressing thing about tennis is that no matter how good I get, I’ll never be as good as a wall.”

Mitch Hedberg

What do sweat, heaving bosoms, and short skirts have in common? No, not that — Indies unlimited is a safe for work site. The quote above should have clued you in to my topic this month for Getting It Right. Tennis is a wonderful sport requiring skill, speed, mental fortitude, and often, the patience of a saint. A character that plays tennis, no matter the skill level, will give the reader clues to their personality. As a pro once told me, “How you are on the court is how you are in life.” Although I don’t agree 100% with that assessment, I’ll accept it for the purpose of this post. Continue reading “Getting It Right: The Sport of Kings”

Getting It Right: Why Women Stay

“Why does she put up with it? Why doesn’t she just leave?”

You’ve all heard it. Maybe you’ve even said it. If you have, consider yourself one of the lucky ones. You never needed to ask yourself that question – or you got out in time. In both cases those that say this often add, “I have no sympathy for her. She just needs to get some backbone.” Continue reading “Getting It Right: Why Women Stay”

Getting It Right: Spousal Abuse

This post was prompted by a few passages and books I have seen that deal with spousal abuse. In my opinion, the patterns of behaviours did not fit what I know, both first hand and from my studies, about this issue. For the record, I have worked in a women’s shelter where I went through an extensive training program.

I wish to state up front that I will use the feminine pronoun for this when I refer to the victim. Yes, I know that men are sometimes abused, too, but this is about a syndrome. Using “she/he” makes for awkward reading. Since nine out of ten victims of spousal abuse are female I think it fair to make that choice. This post is not about arguing gender. Continue reading “Getting It Right: Spousal Abuse”

Getting It Right: The Garden State

“Welcome to Newark, a city in renaissance.” – A Continental Flight Attendant, 2002.

I never realized that there was anything wrong with being from New Jersey until I began to travel for business. It became quickly apparent to me that N.J. had a bad rep. How had I missed this? Had my highly-tuned female powers of observation failed me? Had I hidden in my subconscious mind the stigma associated with a N.J. birthplace? I decided to call my close friend, Bruce Springsteen, to see what he thought. Continue reading “Getting It Right: The Garden State”