The Things I Can’t Open…And Something You Can (Surprise!)

The other morning, I struggled to open a new tub of butter. It had one of those wrap-around plastic tabs. Impossible to grab. And just a week earlier, I couldn’t get the cap off of the Afrin. I pushed. I twisted. I squeezed. I had to bring it back to the pharmacy. The pharmacist, red-faced from the struggle, finally popped off the top. And last month, I tried to return a fancy (translation: expensive) bottle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. After removing the twist-off cap, the bottle failed to pour. I felt like an idiot. Customer Service couldn’t figure it out either. Until in frustration, they turned the bottle completely upside down. Oil dripped out. It was a special spout!

Please…Just Open Up

So when did packaging become such a challenge? We can trace it back to 1982. Seven people died from cyanide-laced Tylenol thereby launching tamper-resistant packaging. Though the intent is sound, big business might have gone a bit overboard. Now, when I see tamper-resistant packaging, I’m reminded of my SAT scores. Am I smart enough to figure out how to open the package? Maybe not.

Which Reminds Me

As an author, you also open yourself up with each word put to paper. It’s a terrific way to gain perspective. Just write it all down. A trained therapist might be a better approach, but writing allows you to save on that hourly fee. And if you can’t bear someone looking at you while you explore your inner demons, writing is perfect.  Just think of all the authors and playwrights who’ve examined their lives through their work. Tennesse William’s Glass Menagerie. Eugene O’Neil’s Long Day’s Journey into Night. Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. If you probe most authors of fiction, their work may not precisely mirror their life experiences. That would be a memoir. But there’s always something buried there. A seed of truth. Lurking just between the paragraphs.

A Little Something Extra!

And now for the big news. My next novel, Boca by Moonlight, will be released on November 15th. Here’s a sneak peek. Am I excited? You bet. Am I nervous? Absolutely. Am I worried? Yes, indeed. So let me just say thank you for reading my blog. This week, we hit the magic number of 2,000 subscribers. I’m very grateful to connect with you. Thanks for your support. It really means a lot!