We’re in the middle of a whole lot of new around our office, and I’m struggling to keep up. It’s all good, don’t get me wrong, but “new” can be stressful, too. In fact, many of the Top 10 most stressful events in life all revolve around something new: being newly single, newly married or newly bereaved; starting a new job; having new children; moving to a new house. Toss in a new economy and a new generation coming of age, and you’ve got one stressed out country.

I struggle with generosity. I’m all about fairness, using an even hand to give each one their due. It’s much harder for me to give (or forgive) when doing so would tip the scales in someone else’s favor, when it will cost me more than I will gain. I tally dollars and cents, hours and minutes, costs and benefits. If I’m on the short side, I squawk!

Is there a job title for “Fitting Room Designer”? Does someone actually put one ounce of forethought into this inconspicuous closet, often confused with the adjacent stockroom? Flickering overhead fluorescents highlight every flaw as you bang your elbows on its flimsy walls while trying to shimmy into clothes that probably don’t fit anyway. But this maligned room, an afterthought on most retail floors, is where Ms. Jones makes her purchase decision.

Have you ever been someplace where everyone was glad to see you? Where people catered to your every whim and met needs you didn’t know you had before you even knew you had them? Where bells tinkled as you walked in the room, where smiles gleamed and faces beamed in radiant joy just to meet you

Not being much of a thrill seeker, I had no idea that my natural reaction to roller coasters is to scream continually and laugh hysterically until tears run down my face. A recent ride on Space Mountain was as entertaining to my family was it was to me (and only slightly embarrassing).

We printed maps to our hotel and hit the road, bound for a family vacation in Washington, DC. We hadn’t planned where to go or what to see, we just figured we’d figure it out when we got there. Frustrated with our lack of preparation, our 13-year old daughter took charge. She found restaurants and restrooms and GPS apps on our cell phones we didn’t know existed. She picked up travel brochures and talked to the front desk clerk. She determined where we should go first based on their closing times and locations, and she decided which day we should do the monuments versus the museums based on the weather forecast.

They may be designed to protect our feet, but shoes serve a multitude of additional purposes. A nice flat sole makes an excellent spider squisher, while a stiletto can slam a nail like a hammer. Shoes can make or break an outfit (Ms. Jones know this full well) or even help us run, jump, walk or play a variety of sports – there are shoes for baseball, basketball, cross training, football, golf, lacrosse, running, skating, soccer, surfing, tennis, track and field, volleyball, walking and wrestling. I’ve even seen freaky five-toed shoes for hiking.

I played, now I must pay. After a lazy weekend our house is trashed. There are dishes on the table, mail on the counter, blankets on the sofa, shoes by the door. But books have been read, movies enjoyed, letters written and fun projects completed.