Author: Erin O'Mara

Sometimes, the mental gymnastics I perform to access even the tiniest bit of gratitude are so extreme, I’m sure I’ll rupture a muscle.

Did a coven of nutritionists invent bobbing for apples? Only powerful witchcraft could convince people to dunk their heads in a bucket of water swirling with the oily lip balm, sweat, saliva and snot of every stranger who already bobbed — all to come up with an apple. An apple!

I was 20, traveling in a van caravan with fellow students to study the geology and ecology of the West. By random chance, I was sharing a bench seat in a van across the endless plains of Kansas with a person who quickly became my No. 1 fan.

I’ve been thinking about my personal brand and the signals I put out, some intentional and some not, that tell people who I am. I love Chips Ahoy because they’re chock-full of chocolate chips, they taste great, and every cookie delivers every time.

Graduation season, for those of us cheering from the stands, is thrilling. That moment when the person you root for walks the stage means everything.