I asked AI to read 16 years of my writing and it told me: "You repeatedly enter new rooms, learn the invisible rules through observation and pattern recognition, integrate into those systems without fully abandoning yourself, and then translate what you learned back to others." I've had this blog since 2010. Apparently I've been doing … Continue reading I Let AI Read 16 Years of My Writing – Then I Built Something With It
The Isolation of Hypervigilance
I was at my daughter's recital when a close acquaintance arrived. We hugged, exchanged pleasantries. The week before, we'd both attended a party celebrating a mutual friend's promotion. I wanted to say something simple — wasn't it wonderful? Aren't you proud of her? But I knew my acquaintance worked in the same field. So I … Continue reading The Isolation of Hypervigilance
The Day Alexa Misunderstood the Assignment
One night, I was feeling a bit tense and uneasy…okay, I’ll be real. I was having a “what’s the meaning of life?!” moment…so I asked Alexa to play a relaxing song. She chose “Gangsta’s Paradise.” The opening line: “As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…” I stood there in my kitchen, … Continue reading The Day Alexa Misunderstood the Assignment
The Dictionary Nobody Gives You
One day, I was late picking up my daughter from ballet class. When I arrived, the ballet teacher is standing outside with my daughter and I start explaining why I was late -- I left the house a little later than usual, I had to pick up dinner, there was a line for pick up … Continue reading The Dictionary Nobody Gives You
The Language I Almost Lost
A couple of years ago, someone said in passing: “Why is Target so expensive?” I remember pausing, caught off guard. “Yeah,” I said. To me, Target was where I’d run the night before pajama day to grab something cheap for my daughter. It wasn’t where I went when things were expensive—it was where I went … Continue reading The Language I Almost Lost
The Day I Almost Turned Down a Down Payment
I was in the middle of negotiating an offer at Amazon when someone from my future team called me before HR did. Someone who had been watching the process and decided, on their own, to pick up the phone. Not to prep me on the role, not to talk through the team. To tell me … Continue reading The Day I Almost Turned Down a Down Payment






