One of humanity's quirks is that people actually like to be scared. At least, pretend scared. Kids (and often adults) dress up as ghouls, ghosts, pirates, and their favorite costumed superheros and villains and run around from house to house shouting "Trick of Treat!" and demanding candy. I've always thought Halloween is one of the weirdest holidays:...

It hurt today as I said goodbye to Max. Our little dog would have turned 13 in a few days but he never made it. He was getting weaker and on Monday he was so sick that I stayed home from work with him and held him most of the day. I had to carry him as he had no energy even to come back in from going outside. There was nothing the vet could

"Alcoholism has an effect on everybody around the person suffering from it. This is especially true for a family." says William Belle in the Ole! Times. In his article, which recounts his own struggle with alcoholism and (for the moment) sobriety, he provides statistics about how pervasive the problem is: According to a 2002 survey conducted by...

Have you been able to escape your family legacy? Should we even want to or try to? As much as we seek to become independent people and become individuals apart from our parents, to some extent we all struggle with our family legacy. For example, Frank Zappa was a rock musician, and one of the most talented and influential of the 60's, 70's and...

The desire for fulfillment is universal. From the moment we are born we recognize within ourselves an insatiable hunger for more of life. We try to grasp onto every experience, enjoy every relationship, and maximize every opportunity. Yet even as we strive to fill our lives to the brim with adventures, we are never fully satisfied. You don’t...

Approximately one in three American college students drops out. That's a scary statistic, and you're likely hoping that you won't become one of those unfortunate ones who end up leaving school before completing your degree. By now, you've been at college/university for a few weeks. Maybe a trip or two back home, maybe not. Whether it's your first...

Why are so many people in their 20s taking so long to grow up? That's the question an article in the New York Times recently asked. It seems that it's taking people longer to grow up. Psychologists have even come up with a new term for it: "emerging adulthood." It’s happening all over, in all sorts of families, not just young people moving...