WriteRunRead Blog

Two years ago today, I dyed my hair to cover the persistent gray roots that had become the bane of my curls’ existence. At that moment, I did not realize that it would be the last time. We can all remember that fated week in March 2020, when nothing would ever be the same.  Prior to this moment and for quite some time, I had considered letting my gray roots grow. I had no idea what it would look like or even how much of my brown hair would be gray. Anytime I mentioned it to friends, family members, and even my colorist, everyone strongly discouraged me from letting it happen. I heard reactions like: “why would you do that?” or “you’re too young” or “it will age you” or “you shouldn’t let yourself go…”  When the Pandemic hit and hair salons were shuttered and friends were frantically purchasing up store bought dye kits, I started to think, why not now? Let it go gray. It was a good time to try it out: I was stuck in my house, working from home, no friends could see me, and thin...

 My father used to joke around a lot and if I seemed offended, he would say, “Lighten up, Julie Ann” or “Julieta,” as he sometimes called me. He would say it when I was stressed about school work or some other big event, like a job interview or law school exam. I used to get so upset when he said this, “Lighten up” phrase. I hardly understood what he meant. Really. I thought so much about it. Should I not worry so much about this or that? Should I laugh it off like other people were able to around me? I was not sure.  As I’ve gotten older and thought about his expression to me, I know in my heart that he was trying to help: don’t take things so seriously, relax already, stop worrying so much. But how on earth was I to do that? It didn’t and doesn’t seem possible. I am certain that each person is “wired” a particular way and now I know that I was wired (and still am) to take things seriously. People, other than my dad, have said to me, “You’re too sensitive,” which I see as a v...

Before the Internet, or at least the Internet as we know it, I used to call my mom to ask her questions as I started to learn to cook. To prepare meals on my own, as a newly married woman, as someone exploring the kitchen, deeper into it than boiling water and making pasta. I needed to know what cut of meat to buy to make a respectable roast beef. Or, how long to cook it. Do I season or brown it before roasting? Recipes were not at the ready. They were not a click away. But my mother was a phone call away. And always happy to hear from one of her young adult daughters, who lived on her own. She always had the answer. For how long should I parboil the potatoes? “Stick a fork in them and see how soft they are. Can you mash them?” Most of her suggestions or advice were obvious. Then I began to wonder if I needed her guidance, or perhaps I just wanted to know that I still needed her, and that she would always be there with the answer. So now I have two of my own “young adults” in college. ...

Expressway - OPINION Newsday https://www.newsday.com/opinion/the-missing-magic-toys-r-us-with-kids-1.23479277 By Julie Klein The missing magic: Toys R Us with kids November 18, 2018 With the holiday season so close, I am beginning to strategize like at no other time of the year. Just like Santa Claus, I prepare a master list with the names of gift recipients, some ideas for each person, and when, where and how I will manage to find something for everyone. In most cases, the obvious answer is the internet. But not so long ago, I grabbed my list (written on note paper, not digitally stored in my “notes” app) and headed to our local Toys R Us, armed with a large Starbucks coffee and high hopes of ultimately satisfying the children on my list. But gone are the days when holiday shopping meant many visits to toy stores. In fact, the news this past summer that Toys R Us was going out of business should not have been shocking. With Amazon quickly becoming the eas...

It’s almost that time. The time you heard about but chose to ignore or disregard because it did not apply to you, to your family. But it does apply, now. Not only do you have to accept it, but also you have to take many proactive steps to make it all happen. You have to shop and pack and prepare your first child for college -- to leave for college, to leave. Melodramatic? Yes, but it’s not simply the leaving in late August of the given year. It’s not just the leaving, knowing he or she will return for Thanksgiving, Christmas holidays, and the like. It’s that once your formerly dependent child leaves, he or she will return as an independent adult. (Hopefully!) I’ve been inundated with “Grown and Flown” articles, pointing out the many emotional and logistical hurdles we parents will face. And this may just be another one of those cautionary, sentimental pieces. But each author is writing to share something with you, to help you face the moment, the series of moments leading up...

I was excited to receive my advanced copy of Kristin Rockaway’s debut novel, The Wild Woman’s Guide to Traveling the World , eager to step into the shoes of a fearless traveler, and explore parts of the globe, which I have only dreamed about. While the title may lead readers to believe it is a non-fiction “guide” covering international travel, it most certainly serves as a guide, but not in this way. Sophie, our “Wild Woman” seems to be anything but that: she’s an organized, highly paid, traveling IT consultant with a serious five year plan, a pricey Manhattan apartment, and a strong will not to let anything or anyone get in the way. But on an excursion to Hong Kong, she meets Carson, a nomadic traveler with only a sketchpad, a “Carpe Diem” tattoo, and a dreamy approach to life. Sophie begins to question not only her carefully planned and thought out travel itinerary, but her meticulous plans for the rest of her life. There are many things I liked about this book: the smart wr...