Columns

Last week, voters successfully nudged a handful of states into expanding opportunities to buy marijuana legally. But there are a few things you should know before leaping into medical marijuana. I was excited when my home state of Pennsylvania finally opened the door to medicinal uses two years ago.

You may or may not be a sports fan. But today’s NFL trade deadline is a useful reminder to us all that some employers will stick by you through good and bad, while others will ditch you given the opportunity.  By 4 p.m., a host of players will…

It has been an interesting week. I was having a conversation with a friend about getting back into the workforce. Although I have pulmonary sarcoidosis, I believe my 30-plus years as a video professional should still be relevant in the marketplace, especially during a…

With Halloween just days away, I’ve been thinking about fear. Not the holding-your-breath, muscle-clenching, waiting-for-horrors to unfold type. But rather the run-of-the-mill scares we’ve pushed down so deep we’ve forgotten they’re even there.  The idea that I’m avoiding fear has been flitting through my mind for months. It became…

Many folks with chronic health issues have difficulty focusing on too much at any given time. I have repeatedly tried to overcome this habit. Each day, I’m faced with the reality that my life is different and I have to move on, but it’s easier…

A best friend from high school occasionally stops by to let my wife and me know what’s going on in her life and to check on my health. We all sit on my porch — socially distanced, of course — with cocktails in hand while we’d…

Bad habits usually sneak up on me. I glide along thinking I’m in control until I get hit with the realization that I’m not. That moment arrived for me on a recent morning when I decided to skip the news.  It shouldn’t have been a big deal. But eating…

My wife, my son, and I moved into our house in August 1996. The house initially belonged to my aunt, who lived there since 1982, the year my wife and I graduated from high school. When my aunt and uncle went on trips, I was…

After being diagnosed with pulmonary sarcoidosis, I became a pro at protecting my lungs. Or so I thought. Even now, 18 years later, I’m still discovering threats I had overlooked. October is “Healthy Lung Month” in the U.S. Leaving my pulmonologist’s office all those years ago, I thought I…

In February, I wrote that sarcoidosis doesn’t play fair. Over the past few days, I’ve thought about that column. It is spooky, but true: Sarcoidosis is a crafty annoyance that keeps you mentally alert. Stay vigilant! This week, I “organized” my…