How classism and racism are pushing beach access out of reach for many. — My earliest steps were practiced on the sands of Cocoa Beach, Florida. At every turn of my childhood, there remains a beach-infused moment that is enshrouded in nostalgia. I graduated high school in Virginia Beach, and spent my 20s in Coronado, California, only a block away from the cold Pacific…

Why you should resist instant conclusions born of inconvenience. — Nothing struck me as off when I first met Richard. I was walking my usual route through our suburban neighborhood, which was filled with a colorful mix of brick homes, and shaded by a dense canopy of southern live oaks. “Hey! You live just behind me, right?” Richard said with…

Exploring the problematic theory of ash and aerosol coming to solve our problems. — My biggest frustration with conservative friends and family isn’t that they are conservative. I can accept and understand many of their positions, and even agree with a few of them. But I struggle to understand how many of them don’t buy in fully on global warming. Climate change shouldn’t be…

How Cirque-du-Soleil's warm-up crew brought me and my partner out of the pits. — I stood on a black circular stage at Cirque Du Soleil and not by my own doing. The day prior, my then-partner Becky and I had fought vociferously. There’d been a long-standing dispute that boiled over into us raising our voices at each other. We were both young, emotional, and…

Achieving harmony over one of the most common domestic squabbles. — Laura crawled into bed beside me at 10:00 PM, the approximate time we wind down each night. After a moment, she turned her head toward me and said “I don’t want to admit to this, but last night, I got hot.” I smiled and said, “Well I’ll be darned.” This…

What happens when an effective obesity drug becomes cheap and used by the masses? — When Anne first walked into the restaurant, I didn’t recognize her for several seconds, until she smiled and called out my name. We’ve been long time friends. Work and daily life have pulled us apart in recent years. She’d always struggled with her weight, and worked alongside me back in…

Finding a new job is one answer, but not the only. — I pulled into the headquarters for Home Shopping Network. It was a towering corporate building with reflective windows and an HSN logo as its crown. In front, was a wide still pond with several alligators floating leisurely. Some dark and cynical part of my brain wondered if underperformers were thrown…

Destigmatizing body moisture and its critical role. — I spent my childhood summers on the east coast of Florida, playing outside on thickly grassed lawns and sun-scorched driveways. The sweltering heat and sound of cicadas buzzing in the background are forever burned into my memory. We played endlessly and sweating was always a foregone conclusion, and rarely even…

How sociologists advise you make friends after 30. — “I can’t do the 15th,” John said. “Can we push it back two weeks?” I looked at my calendar, trying to align the dates with our friend Derrick. Then, after finding a great window, John came back with another complication. I rubbed my temples in frustration. I’m 40 and most…