I'm a writer living in Northern Minnesota, where I'm currently working toward a Masters degree in English. I graduated from Bemidji State University with a BFA in Creative and Professional Writing. When I'm not writing or hanging out on Helium, I'm probably goofing around on a stage somewhere, listening to Led Zeppelin, cooking and eating, or trying to stay warm with my friends in this chilly state in which we, for some reason, live. I'm currently working on my thesis, which will be a collection of fiction.

My passion is ...

dreaming.

I know too much about ...

comics. Don't even get me started, please.

My parents always told me ...

"pick up your GI Joes."

My childhood ambition ...

was to dig up dinosaurs-either their bones, or whole, living ones.

My favorite memory ...

living in Oxford.

Why I write ...

it's like asking why I eat-it's delicious and it keeps me alive.

What I am reading/watching/listening to ...

The Absolute Sandman Volume 2/Californication (David Duchovney's return to TV!)/Raising Sand (the new Robert Plant and Alison Krauss record)

My first job ...

neighborhood deli. Ew.

My best moment ...

hosting a talent show with my friend Dan (we were actually funny...I think.)

My inspiration ...

the amazing people I know.

Arts & Humanities > Meaning of Life The secret to perpetual happiness

12 of 28

Of course there really is no such thing as a "secret" or "magic key" to open the gates of happiness. While there is no way avoid to birds of sorrow, as the famous saying goes, there certainly are ways to keep them from nesting in your hair. Here are some quick suggestions to consider.

1) Laugh more often. There is a Quaker maxim that reads: make light of your troubles. Laughing off a mistake can save you from years of self-battery. Plus, people with a sense of humor are nice to be around, and your friends will certainly appreciate it. It may even rub off of them. So do everyone the favor o...

More..