On My Mind: A safe harbor in a storm
Imagine a young Islander whom I will call Becca. She was stationed in Afghanistan, saw her buddies killed, one right next to her. On returning to the Vineyard, she struggled with nightmares and flashbacks....
On My Mind: A newfound awareness of death
“Charlie, you have had several near-death experiences. When that happens, you come back reborn. You are a different person. You need to re-establish your roots, and that takes nurturance and time. Go easy on...
On my mind: Being a hospital patient
Last month, I had a middle-of-the-night dream that turned out to be prophetic: there was an intruder in my house, and he wanted to do me harm. When I woke the next morning at...
On My Mind: Friendship
Most people think of loneliness as a painful state of mind. They may not realize that it is also bad for one’s health. Loneliness puts people at increased risk of depression, dementia, and alcoholism....
On my mind: Secrets
Though she kept it a secret from her mother and grandparents, on a typical night, a 17-year-old Martha’s Vineyard High School student was a blackout drinker. She was filled with shame about “sneaking around...
On My Mind: Children of alcoholics and dysfunctional families
Tolstoy famously wrote that “all happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” No doubt each troubled family is different, and has its own stories and pain, but approximately...
On My Mind: Why I have changed my byline
My wife approached me as I was dressing for work, and told me that she thought it was time that she give up the job of editing my essays. “What? Why?” I asked. I...