By Mahshid F. Hager I still remember the day I went to the U.S. Embassy in Frankfurt to apply for my F1 visa. I was so nervous. The night before, I triple-checked my documents: signed application form, TOEFL scores, I-20 and acceptance letter from Mesa College in San Diego, my…
By Mahshid Hager A former US president was almost assassinated. But we went out to party anyway. I know how this sounds. Let me explain. I was in Nashville on July 13th. I was there to teach an intensive 4-day course about trauma treatment to a group of psychotherapists and…
Photo by Hybrid on Unsplash July, 2o, 2020 By Mahshid Hager I started writing again today. Editing my solo-show script, to be exact. I hadn’t touched any of my writing projects since March. I have felt too worn out, too disoriented, too exhausted to put anything on paper. But there’s…
Feb. 5th, 2020 Today Donald J. Trump was acquitted on both articles of impeachment. Senators representing roughly 150 million Americans voted for the acquittal, ensuring the president does not suffer any consequences for his “inappropriate behavior”. Senators representing roughly 170 million Americans voted to convict him but their votes did…
By Mahshid Hager I’ve been thinking about mid-life a lot lately. Maybe it’s because I’m 47 and 50 seems just around the corner. Or the fact that I’ve been having a shoulder ‘issue’ that seems more persistent and requires a little more attention and care than I’m used to allocating…
Photo by Trent Yarnell on Unsplash By Mahshid Hager It’s like you had just come out of a terrible relationship and then found this guy…. He was outright dreamy, tall, handsome, well respected, good head on his shoulders. Heck, there were even rumors that he saved someone’s life once. So, you started dating…
Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash By Mahshid Hager I once was a refugee child Scared out of my mind and confused My body weak, my senses numb I had seen things no one should. I had lived through violence and war I said goodbye to my home, my family and everything I…
By Mahshid Hager Once again, there’s “unrest” in Iran. Once I again, I hold my breath, praying for peace and everyone’s safety as the violence ravages through the streets of my homeland. The images on tv, so familiar, yet so far removed from my reality today. They wake up the…
Photo by Ian Schneider on Unsplash By Mahshid Hager I’m not big on New Year’s Resolutions. I’ve never started a diet or an exercise routine on New Year’s Day. It’s always seemed like too much pressure, especially after the hubbub of the holiday season. Instead, I like to take a look at the…
Photo by tertia van rensburg on Unsplash By Mahshid Hager Bill Cosby. Harvey Weinstein. Charlie Rose. Kevin Spacey. Dustin Hoffman. C.K Lewis. Donald Trump. Roy Moore. Al Franken. Matt Lauer…. The stories just keep coming. Women, silent for too long, are coming out en masse and finally talking about the harassment…