Lisa Gioia-Acres's Page

"You will never be happy."

That’s what my father-in-law told me recently. I was sharing how in the near future I hope to find myself and my husband out of Las Vegas and living in a place that:

* Is green with real, live vegetation, not from fake lawns
* Has water in the form of lakes, ponds, creeks or rain
* Doesn’t have accidents on every corner like some cities have 7-11s
* Where we actually have conversations and social encounters with our neighbors
* Where I can go outside without h… Continue

The price of speaking what’s in your heart can be very costly. I have discovered this harsh reality over the years. I always thought I was a people-pleaser, not wanting to say or do anything that would offend someone else. I was raised that way. I remember going to BINGO games with my grandmother as a little girl and just hating the cigarette smoke blown in my face by the players who shared our table. My grandmother was quick to scold me when I would wave my hand to clear the air around me. The… Continue