Random Connect Points:
Reba's Stories

I confess. I’m a word nerd. For me, writing is a passion, not just a way to communicate. I see writing as an intersection of creativity, experience, knowledge and connection. It's an art and a science where clarity and crisp communication converge with inspiration and flow. Writing, editing and proofing are a fun puzzle, not a dreaded chore, for me. I love reading anything connected to words and language. The day the new AP Stylebook comes out is always reason for celebration. I’m on a text thread with several friends who love trading messages when we find atrocious editing errors in newspaper headlines. And doesn't everyone still have their high school grammar book? Working with a good editor is a writer’s nirvana for me. There’s usually a way to tighten things up a bit, improve the flow or find a more vivid word. I’m constantly trying to make my personal writing more creative, open and insightful and work toward clarity of message and purpose in my professional writing. ...

 I don't have the fame, voice or money of the "real Reba," but I do have her poster.  Now that this blog has finally joined the social media bandwagon, I’ve been going back through some old posts and sharing a few of them through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. A favorite I came up on today is about the importance of your name and the “Cheers” factor (a place “where everybody knows your name”). In this 2016 blog post , I wrote about the discomfort of having an unusual name when I was a child. I hated that my first grade teacher was trying to insist on calling me Rebecca because she didn’t like nicknames. I lamented that I was never able to find my name on the racks of hundreds of embossed keychains at the Gay Dolphin when I visited with my friends in middle school. In the past week, I’ve eaten in three of my favorite local restaurants. While the food is always good at all three, that’s not really the main reason I frequent Eggs Up, Crave or Labraskas. It’s b...

At first glance, the pairing may have seemed to be an odd juxtaposition of two authors on the Charleston Music Hall stage recently as they discussed their newly published books - one about dogs and one about politicians. It was a sold-out show. These writers’ careers as two of the best photographers in their respective areas of expertise have brought them accolades, awards and left them with thousands of photographs. But their recently published books share deeper insights than just pictures from their travels. These writers have taken years of observation, connections, creativity, and a sensitivity to the world around them and translated it, through their own unique lenses, into two compelling books. Callie Shell spent more than 25 years photographing world leaders and international events just an arms-length away from some of the most powerful people in the world. For eight years, she chronicled Vice President Gore’s two terms. For the last two decades, her work ...

House concert: (hous KON-sert) - A gathering of friends and neighbors in an intimate home setting to celebrate and support local musicians. OK … so I kind of made up that definition, but that does describe the concept. The idea of house concerts goes back generations to Appalachian traditions. A performer en route between gigs may have had an open night to play at a host’s home along the way in exchange for a good meal and place to lay his head. The host would charge a small ticket price with proceeds going to the performer. In the modern twist on a house concert, guests pay a small admission fee and bring a snack to share, their own adult beverages and chairs.   So that’s what’s going on October 5 – a house concert featuring the fabulous Danielle Howle and two very talented songwriter friends of hers . If you aren’t familiar with Danielle’s work, you need to be! Friend her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter @DanielleHowleMusic and Insta @dmfhowle. He...

This is us as we left PetsInc for her new home A year ago today, I spent a rainy afternoon at PetsInc walking refugee dogs that had been evacuated from coastal shelters during Hurricane Florence. I walked a dozen or so dogs over about an hour and a half giving them a little loving, some exercise and a place do their business. I volunteered that afternoon to give me a dog fix, but knew I wasn't ready for a new dog yet following the death of my beloved Dixie earlier in the year. So much for best laid plans! You can read Flossie's "gotcha story" here and get the details about how I saw her across the room as I was signing out of the shelter's office to head home. You can read about the several God-winks that brought us together. Also read here about how I came to open my heart again to bringing another dog into my life after losing Dixie.   The quote below is from a delightful essay from the playwright Eugene O'Neal who wrote so beautifully about ...

Now that I've been away from a traditional work environment for a few months, I've found a few things I'm missing … quick IT support, a dependable printer for my computer, impromptu brainstorming meetings, and word nerd colleagues down the hall who will debate grammar usage rules, share typos from major newspapers or debate the new changes in the AP Style Guide. This summer, I've had to amuse myself with some of my own fixes to get the word nerd connections I've been missing. For the first time in my career, I bought my own new AP Style Guide and even subscribed to the online version. I re-read "Bird by Bird" and a number of my other favorite books on writing included in this earlier blog post  and revisited this post on my grammatical pets peeves . Next week, I will be getting back to a different kind of writing I've missed in recent years as I start on a new career adventure as an adjunct instructor in the School o...

I'm an evangelist for the handwritten note...whether it's a thank-you note or a newsy few lines just to say "hi" to someone. I love to write them, and I love to get them. When a handwritten note from a young friend landed in my mailbox this week, I danced a little jig. I knew who it was from by the handwriting. I knew it would hold something interesting. And it did. It also reminded me to go back and read a blog post I'd written six years ago when I had gotten a similar note from the same young friend. She had taken on the practice of writing a note a day during one of her early years out of college. I was flattered to receive several of them over the course of the year - not knowing at that point of her plan. Her note this week and this archived post from Random Connect Points reminded me to pull out my pretty box of notes and get writing! Maybe it will inspire you too! Thanks JessicaPhillips Tyson for the nudge. During August, I'll ...

I’ve wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember. I attempted to publish a neighborhood magazine in the fourth grade. I wrote for the high school paper. I went to college thinking I wanted to be a newspaper reporter. I won a VFW essay writing contest in the fifth grade. I’ve always loved to write letters. But I’ve always struggled with exactly what it means to be a writer. Can you officially be a writer just because you write? How many published books, poems, magazine articles or songs does it take to officially be a writer? What makes someone fit the definition of a writer? And who is the keeper of that definition, anyway? Merriam Webster? Anne Lamott? Mrs. Hanna, my eighth grade English teacher? How is questioning whether I can be called a writer just because I write any different from questioning if I can I be called a musician because I play music? Or can I be labeled a gardener because I have a straggly herb garden? Can I be described as a cook because I make...

Rarely does a book appeal to all my “reading” senses – well written, important message, compelling story and human connections. “Grace Will Lead Us Home” about the shootings at Mother Emanuel A.M.E. Church is one of them. I recently listened to an interview on the SC Lede podcast on SC Public Radio with the author of the book, Jennifer Berry Hawes . She’s a reporter for the Post and Courier who witnessed first-hand many of the details surrounding this tragedy. After hearing Hawes’ podcast interview, I knew I had to read this book. And I knew I had to buy it and not just borrow it from the library or listen on Audible. I had a feeling it would be one of those books I’d want to mark up and re-read. For anyone who thinks they have an understanding of the circumstances, the emotions, the complexities or the passions surrounding the shooting, the trial and the its aftershocks, this book illustrates there’s far more to this story than just an accounting of events in a series of ...

How many times have you ridden by this tree at that funny little triangular intersection of Millwood and Butler near the Mad Platter? There’s a lovely oak tree planted in the center surrounded by various plants kept up by the City of Columbia. There’s also a plaque dedicated to the memory of those who died 25 years ago today in the crash of a US Air jet en route from Columbia to Charlotte.   Of the 57 people on the plane, 37 died. One was our friend, Gaines Jontz. He was one of the first friends we made when we moved to Columbia in 1993. A talented architect with a quick wit and generous heart, Gaines brought many into his circle of friends. Our friendship with Gaines is one of those random connect points in life that lasts a lifetime. I am so grateful that, thanks to the web of connections he left behind, so many of these friendships remain. He brought people together in his life and has continued to do so even after he died. Because of Gaines, our ...

Every year on May 23, I have a little personal celebration to observe my "adultiversary" - the first day at my first "real life" job  – the receptionist to a freshman Congressman on Capitol Hill.  Back on my 30th “adultiversary,” I wrote this essay for a national trade magazine about 20 pieces of advice for young professionals. I always like to go back and revisit these each year on May 23 to see what I’d add to the list (the farewell post I wrote in December when I retired expands on a number of these). But now that I’ve taken on the new role as a “rookie retiree,” I have a little different perspective on life lessons that have emerged without the constraints, labels and stresses of the daily work grind. As I've tried to live out my goal of spending money on experiences rather than things in my new world order, I've discovered a few new truths. 1 – It’s OK to be a beginner. I wrote about this earlier this year, but this revelation makes me re...

Flossie and me leaving PetsInc It’s National Rescue Dog Day, and I hit the jackpot back in September when I adopted Flossie, a medium-sized lab-ish beauty. Here’s our story. During Hurricane Florence, I went to PetsInc to walk some of the dogs that had been evacuated from a shelter along the coast. I’d done this before during an earlier hurricane and saw that I could fill a short-term need they had at the shelter. My beloved golden retriever, Dixie, had died about nine months earlier, and I was in the early stages of debating if it was time to start looking for another dog - a golden for sure ( read that post here ). Since I was set on a golden - and figured it was pretty unlikely to find exactly what I was looking for that day – I wasn’t too worried about being tempted to bring a dog home. I walked 15 or so dogs of all shapes and sizes in the drizzle on a nice wooded path area behind PetsINc. They each got a little loving, a few loops around the path and plenty of time t...