My Latest Venture
Dear Friends, I put “The Nice Thing About Strangers” to bed a while ago, but I am fortunate to still have followers here to skim through the stories from time … Continue reading
Pace Yourself
I’ve seen the older man walking his dog in the mornings and afternoons. I’ve watched them trudge along, slow to the point of stillness, causing passersby to always pass by. … Continue reading
The Reason to Rush
Two pretty young women are walking down the street, close in pace, but not together. A blonde in shorts my-mother-would-never-have-let-me-leave-the-house-wearing is staring down at her phone. The other, more modestly … Continue reading
Spiraling in Turkish
Last summer, living in Izmir, Turkey, I started trying to learn Hungarian. I spoke Turkish on errands, English in my work, and Hungarian in the two hours of lessons I … Continue reading
Kerouac’s Ukulele
A boy of about seven or eight waits for his Mom, who is caught in a conversation with a friend in the street. The boy wears a ukulele on a … Continue reading
So Let’s Try…
There’s an older man who works at the parking lot of a bank near my apartment. He wears a polo shirt that declares he is Security. He has a lanyard. … Continue reading
The Clues
My neighbors in the plane watch a television show together on the tiny screen in front of her seat. She sits straight on, often smiling over as he cranes his … Continue reading
On Peppers and Humility
A few weeks ago in a Turkish market, I wanted to ask if the peppers were spicy, but I apparently asked if the peppers would punch/injure me. The girl laughed … Continue reading
The Humbling Scenes: Part II
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
So I knew I couldn’t walk to my Turkish class, and would need another plan. I stared at a map and felt some…
The Humbling Scenes: Part I
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
If you have a good sense of direction, please never forget that this is a gift. Like those who can sleep in…
Though Weary Evening Eyes Do Get Sunsets…
On the long journey doubts were often my companions. I’ve always admired those reporters who can descend on an area, talk to key people, ask key questions, take samplings of … Continue reading
The Welcome Home Scene
He’s somewhere in early 20s and exceptionally tall. He’s clean shaven and tan in his white button-up shirt. Back in the airplane, he ate a sandwich, sat restlessly in his … Continue reading
Photo Op
The old man wears a straw hat shaped like a cowboy hat. It has something like a badge at the front. He wears sunglasses that are a cross between aviators … Continue reading
Still Friendly After All These Years
The elderly woman is perfectly coordinated–a pink dress, a pale blue sweater, a pink and blue necklace, blue eyes, gray hair to her chin. Her daughter is her accessory, tucked … Continue reading
The Urge to Be Someplace Else
“When I was very young and the urge to be someplace else was on me, I was assured by mature people that maturity would cure this itch. When years described me … Continue reading
Waiting on the 13A
A woman with a long, swinging skirt walks with two heaps of lettuce across her arm as though she’s carrying bouquets of flowers, like a runner-up beauty queen making off with the … Continue reading
To Be Grateful
I’m waiting in line for three ticket machines in the metro station. Of course, I get to mine, and it doesn’t take cash. Or cards. So I turn, tugging my … Continue reading
Escalator Kissing
The man and woman have grey hair and matching gold necklaces. They hold hands. People rarely walk down the escalator stairs in this Budapest metro station, as the angle is … Continue reading
The Hunger
There is no great difference in reality between one country and another, because it is always people you meet everywhere. They may look different or be dressed differently, they may … Continue reading
“At the High School Dance Recital,” A Guest Post from Kim Karras
Kim has a great sense of humor and a wonderful laugh. I love this story in part because I can hear Kim’s voice in it, even though we haven’t been … Continue reading
So So Beautiful
The girl sits upright in her stroller. Mom pushes and chats with her, but the little girl doesn’t lean back and relax. She’s watching the crowds coming and going in … Continue reading
The Ones Writing to Me
After a very nice note from a woman reading my book, I think of Merton and how he makes me laugh. “People write with great simplicity to me as though … Continue reading
Beauty (On the Record)
Two boys of perhaps ten or eleven are simultaneously struck by a vision. They turn into elderly men, gasping, bringing their upturned fingers together in front of their faces like … Continue reading
The View from Here
The little boy sits on a gargantuan chair. It is a huge display to show the craftsmanship of the maker. The chair presides over the airport food court. Parents have … Continue reading
“The Winter of Our Discontent” in August
See you Monday for a happy tale from the Ataturk airport, Istanbul. For now, a few lines from John Steinbeck’s “The Winter of Our Discontent,” which I just devoured. 🙂 … Continue reading
Just a Little Reading Break
The impresario Seth Godin said, “Many people start a blog, but very few people ever finish one.” I don’t think I’m finished yet. I don’t quite know how to explain … Continue reading
Slow and Steady
A slow-moving service cart transporting two elderly men in polo shirts crosses Terminal A. The driver is surely their contemporary. They all try to sit up, gazing out from under … Continue reading
“Of course, they aren’t always funny.”
Mom, Dad, two sons and Grandpa are waiting for their flight. They are two hours early as Grandpa apparently requested. Grandpa reads his “New Yorker” magazine calmly. The boys writhe, … Continue reading
Prayers for Paul
The man sits quietly by the window through the flight. As we grow close to landing, my 9-year old niece strikes up a conversation with her neighbor. This is a sure sign … Continue reading
Lady on the Train (A Guest Post from Clayton Lovett)
A little gift from Brazil via Clayton Lovett: Adjectives to describe the people on the train were (probably) things like: healthy, sick, recently-lost-a-loved-one, pregnant, in-love, carrying-a-terminal-illness, happy, mentally ill, mentally … Continue reading
Yep, I Was Just About To Do That
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
She’s in elementary school, somewhere near the middle of it, perhaps. Her hair is bright blonde and neatly trimmed. She’s sitting by…
The Courage to Be
Lodged in your heart is the power to walk into somebody’s life and give him or her what the bright light Paul Tillich called “the courage to be.” Can you … Continue reading
Please Be Seated
The mother, her four teenage daughters, and her preschool son have seated themselves completely at random near the back of the plane. A couple, whose seats the teens have occupied, … Continue reading
We’re People-Watching People
His black work shoes are worn on the back at the outside of the heels. It’s such a pronounced missing piece, like the heels were carved into crescents. However, as … Continue reading
Upward
For Holy Communion, people shuffle single-file toward the front. An altar server’s little brother has just cleared the front pews and spots his sister up there. She is seated near … Continue reading
11.49 miles (Guest Post by Andrew Boge )
I met a remarkable young man on my tour last month. Andrew is a great audience member, a thoughtful human being, and a bright spirit. He’s a student at Hastings … Continue reading
The Tan Man
He is glazed to the color of carrot cake, but still seeking the sun. The resident leaving the senior center apartment complex is shirtless, but he wears khaki shorts and … Continue reading
Super
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
For a 6 am flight, there is a nice camaraderie in the airport. People seem too groggy to have their defenses up.…
Another Route
My taxi driver waves me off when I try to help put my suitcase in the trunk. “It’s heavy, really heavy,” I warn in Turkish. He tosses it in and … Continue reading
Let it Roll
For the final day of a cross-country trip, I had to drive across all of Kansas and through half of Colorado. Just after leaving Kansas City, a motorcycle passed me. … Continue reading
Wrong Turns
“I don’t mind if I make mistakes. It may be that in one of the blind alleys I may find something to my purpose.” –(Larry.) The Razor’s Edge. W. Somerset … Continue reading
The Flower Reverie
He sits on the bench outside the nursing home. He has long white hair and a full white beard. Naturally, he resembles Santa Claus. He also resembles a man at … Continue reading
Deli Girl
She is standing by the clear glass display and browsing the various meats. There are two women standing nearby, but after a moment it becomes clear that the girl is … Continue reading
Mrs. P
Today I went to an assisted living home to visit my first grade teacher. We reunited after over 30 years. The facility is in a lovely location with views of … Continue reading
Birdwatching
“Tavuskuşu var, tavuskuşu var!” The little girl is squealing over the presence of peacocks in a small aviary near the restaurant. Her calling spooks four white doves, who flap into … Continue reading
Golden
They sit on the bench with their ice cream cones. She swings her legs as she sits. He hunches under his baseball cap. Without comment, they watch a man who … Continue reading
The Trigger Man (A Guest Post by Clayton Lovett)
My friend CL is insightful, clever and a gifted storyteller. He’s also been following and supporting the blog since the beginning. Since he’s living in Brazil these days, I asked … Continue reading
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