Tricia Rose Burt

Speaker. Storyteller. Coach.

General Thoughts

Disorderly Conduct

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For the past year, I’ve slept only 3 to 4 hours a night, and not in a row. Needless to say, my nerves were shot and I was starting to get a bit cranky. While my doctor tried to sort out my insomnia’s cause, she prescribed the sleeping aid Ambien.

Ambien, waiting to be taken

The Ambien was to be used only if I was desperate for sleep — like the night before a performance — and I was to go to bed within 30 minutes of taking the pill. In the two months I’ve had the prescription, I’ve taken half of an Ambien maybe twice. It knocked me out pretty quick. [Read more…] about Disorderly Conduct

Christmas Magic, When You Least Expect It

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This past week I was asked to tell a story at my town’s Christmas celebration. I was nervous. The story I  wanted to tell goes to a dark place before ending on a high note. I thought the kids and adults in the audience would prefer some Christmas magic instead. The shows producer, the extremely talented Jody Simpson, said matter-of-factly, “kids need to know that Bambi’s mother dies” and “this is no place for pablum.” As as artist, that direction itself was a bit of Christmas magic. [Read more…] about Christmas Magic, When You Least Expect It

A Passion for Risk

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Risk means different things to different people. For instance, my husband, Eric Masterson, an expert birder as well as writer and photographer, went “hurricane birding” during Hurricane Irene. He was looking for rare bird species that may have blown off course. As a Floridian raised on hurricanes, I thought he was insane. Strongly averse to physical risk, I stayed safely at home, texting him, “Do the words flash floods and deadly projectiles mean anything to you?” To Eric, it wasn’t risk — it was passion. [Read more…] about A Passion for Risk