Brittle

by Maura Campbell

He called me brittle. None of the definitions sat too well as I stood there trying to think of something to fling back at him. Am I really "hard and likely to break," or "sharp-sounding with an unnerving quality or tone?" He can't possibly mean I am "lacking durability or permanence;" after all, I've been married to him for 22 years! I'm sure he means that I seem "easily irritated or annoyed" these days. But, I prefer to think I am more like that tasty confection of caramelized sugar and nuts - sweet really, with a hearty crunch and a touch of salt.

6S

Maura Campbell, author of Oops!, usually writes for other people - putting words in the mouths of (and on the page for) assorted public relations and marketing clients. This time of year in Michigan, she misses the sun and finds herself longing for her home state of Colorado.