-Isms: Views on life in rural America

As I neared age 40, a wave of depression washed over me, sweeping me into an abyss of self-pity. When I look back at that time, life was a jumbled mess and saying I was unhappy was an understatement.

On my birthday, I took a long look in the mirror and knew I needed to focus on positive elements of life. Too much negativity already existed in the world. I didn’t need to add to it.

My personal present - a bitchslap to the face - worked.

I started by focusing on gratitude, listing the little things many of us tend to take for granted. Sure, it was tough in the beginning. The first entry: Thankfu...