PinnedMember-onlyPart XI: All I Need Is A MiracleOr maybe an impound lot — Tired of working for “the man”? Looking to change fields, make the leap into something completely new? Something where you can be your own boss, set your own fees, and nobody, but nobody can balk at them ’cause you have them over a barrel? Open your own impound lot! All…Parenting5 min readParenting5 min read
PinnedMember-onlyPart IV: Cats? What Cats?When I finally got my son on the phone, after the two missed calls, after the email Rob sent to the jail, and after my call to the attorney, when I was still crying and shaking and hurling Italian invectives at the individual responsible for sticking my sweet, gentle, beautiful…Parenting4 min readParenting4 min read
PinnedMember-onlyPart II: He’s Under House Arrest, and I’m the WardenI never expected to find myself in law enforcement — When I arrive in Virginia, it’s freezing. It doesn’t matter what I put on, I can’t get warm. Rob and I have lived in Florida a little more than a year, and somehow I’ve already managed to forget how warm April in Virginia isn’t. I’ve packed utterly and completely incorrectly…Parenting4 min readParenting4 min read
PinnedMember-onlyPart I: Little FridayHere’s where it began — The Thursday I learned my son was in jail was preceded by a Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of my waking each of those days and thinking it was Thursday. Or, more accurately, hoping it was Thursday. Very strange since there was nothing special happening on Thursday, April 6. It wasn’t…Autism4 min readAutism4 min read
PinnedMember-onlyAbout me — Susan McCorkindaleFirst up: McCorkindale is my stage name — Hi! I’m Susan McCorkindale. I’ve been writing since my parents gave me my first black and white composition notebook when I was about four. My work wasn’t any good, but that didn’t stop me from chasing them around the house trying to read it to them. Beyond being a writer and an author (I…Writing2 min readWriting2 min read
Published inILLUMINATION·Nov 12Member-onlyNo Sudden MovementsLast Wednesday I learned that Sam Bankman Fried, aka “Mini Madoff” according to Fox’s Jesse Watters, was sentenced to 110 years in jail. My first thought was good, the bastard deserves it. My second thought was, how can he be arrested, tried, and convicted so quickly? My son’s been under…Autism6 min readAutism6 min read
Oct 21Member-onlyPart X: Stop the World. I Want to Get OffAs I write this, it’s October 16, 2023, nine days since I sat glued to the news and sobbing, watching as Hamas surprised and savagely killed hundreds of young people at a dance in Israel. I don’t like to think about those videos or any of the others I’ve watched…Parenting3 min readParenting3 min read
Published inILLUMINATION·Oct 8Member-onlyPart IX: The Price of LonelinessMy kid’s under house arrest. I’m the warden. What could possibly go wrong? — Seeing my condo in its utter chaos that night with Sandra, I was sick with sadness for my boy. He was trying. I could see it in the fact that, despite my joking, there wasn’t any spoiled milk in his fridge or a single bottle of Red Bull. There were…Parenting4 min readParenting4 min read
Oct 4Member-onlyPart VIII: Can You Hear Me Now?As it turns out, Brian Kelmar, the man I emailed after Mr. Google and I found him, is as much a mensch as Bob Sweeney is. I’m in the car with my dear friend Sandra, the one who couldn’t get in the house to take care of the cats (what…Autism4 min readAutism4 min read
Oct 1Member-onlyPart VII: The Waiting Is The Hardest Part“Let’s launch a podcast,” I say, sipping my coffee and staring longingly at the little “Podcast” link on my Substack dashboard. “No,” my son replies, leaning down to give the top of my head a kiss good morning. “Why not?” I ask, surprised. This is the kid who loves attention…Parenting4 min readParenting4 min read
