From the Caregiver's HAErt — Danita LaShelle Jones

As a writer, I can’t help but get excited about a good legend. No, not the campfire kind that seeks to terrify children as they stare off into the night. I’m talking about the stories that start as true but become legends when retold, as additional elements make them more…

If you’re ever having a conversation with a film enthusiast, eventually, they will mention the brilliance behind Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws.” In “Jaws,” the fictional town of Amity Island faces growing tragedy when an oversized great white shark starts terrorizing beachgoers. After an incompetent mayor refuses to close the…

“You’re bleeding!” an exasperated character usually pants out to the main character. Then, the main character will open their jacket to reveal a dark red spot on their otherwise white clothing, gasp out a determined, “I don’t have time to bleed,” and continue fighting armed henchmen. In some movies, the…

“It’s how much?” I asked the salesperson in disbelief. “Six hundred and seventy-three dollars,” he repeated, as if it didn’t sound ridiculous. I was baffled. During the summer before my final year of college, I attempted to go “full adult” and buy my first cellphone. The problem, however, was that…

My vision board was complete! Several years ago, after purchasing an overpriced planner, I stared in triumph at the beautiful mural of New Year’s resolutions: Produce and direct two on-stage productions. Finish my screenplay. Go to the gym four days a week. Lose 30 pounds. Host a book signing. Redecorate…

I frantically scrolled through my phone, desperately trying to find the answers. It was official; I was cheating. But I needed to. The host of the show and one of my friends, Kirk R. Nugent, had posed a complicated question to the virtual audience, and because I was on the…

“The page you’re trying to access is no longer available.” The sentence stared at me like the ominous indictment I knew was coming because of the very last exchange, which had gained hundreds of comments, all angrily aimed at me. After our twins were born, I sought to find a…

As a fan of 1990s sitcoms, I could already see the disaster coming. The star of the popular show was attempting to flambé a dish after watching his butler do it. The process was simple: heat the food in a small pot, splash it with liquor, then set it…

He lost the race. Sure, when he stepped in front of the cameras, the commentators announced all of his victories, how many Olympic medals he possessed, and how he’d been a favorite to win, but there he was, in the pool, not coming in second or even fourth, but seventh.

It was official: I hated my job. The good news was that I knew I was going to resign from my position. The bad news was that my last day was 188 days away, and I was on Day 1 of a new year. I knew this situation had the…

The chatter of various dinner conversations hummed throughout my father’s house. It was Easter weekend, and our traditional dinner for family and friends who were visiting for a local university’s homecoming was in full swing. Guests had come and filled various rooms to enjoy great conversation and food. At the…

“As a simple demonstration/ Of my independent station/ I will go and leave my blanket on the floor.” This is one of my favorite sets of lines sung by Linus in “My Blanket and Me,” from one of my favorite musicals, “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.” In…