Good, But No Samaritan
On the 92A bus, a gruff Austrian soldier keeps his pack on as he watches intently for his stop. Two elementary-aged boys on board spot an opportunity and sneak up … Continue reading
Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
As bus merged onto the highway, leaving no chance for unhappy passengers to disembark, a group of Slovakian college students old enough…
Smile Like You’re Home
Outside the meeting to cover the Dos and Don’ts of volunteering at the asylum seekers center, I feel an urge to dash away. I am always terrified at the thought … Continue reading
Happy
Tomorrow I will read books, eat a care package of Mom’s ginger cookies and have my next birthday. I’ve got a stack of books waiting to be chosen, but I’ll … Continue reading
Breathtaking
At the symphony, the tall woman loses focus during Strauss. When she returns from intermission, she seems determined to try again. A row of men who resemble retired diplomats watch … Continue reading
Table Manners
Is it raining? At an outdoor café in Novi Sad under an expansive web of umbrella-like-awnings, I wait for a slice of pizza. The tent above is tapped like there … Continue reading
The Church Flirt
The church is freezing, though it isn’t particularly cold outside. Suddenly even attending Mass seems an exceptionally pious act. The tourists walking through blow steam from their lips. They clasp … Continue reading
Mess Things Up.
After all, there is nothing but failure. If at least we have the will to fail we make progress. If we give up each time before we have started we … Continue reading
My First Trip to Europe Anxiety. Part II.
Bus and tram trip from the airport through Prague. An old Army barracks being renovated into a mall, a KFC. Lots of graffiti, signs–I see them and the words mean … Continue reading
My First Trip To Europe Anxiety. Part I.
Glory. I’ve uncovered a notebook from my first trip to Europe six years ago. I was absolutely terrified! Reading this reminds me how new I have become in the last … Continue reading
Iceland. Or The Moon.
How foolish we were to be afraid of loneliness. -Graham Greene. The Heart of the Matter.
Lead Thyself
I would rather make mistakes in kindness and compassion than work miracles in unkindness and hardness. Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person. –Mother Teresa of … Continue reading
To Slow Down, Change Locations
He wanted to slow life up and he quite rightly felt that by traveling he would make time move with less rapidity. You have this noticed yourself, I expect, on … Continue reading
Saturday-Ja-Vu: How To Kill Time
Some days feel more land-locked than others. I was reminded of Croatian bus drivers and border crossings today, though I haven’t spotted either one. And children and adults staying entertained … Continue reading
How Little I Know
He looked at the snail. Can it see me? He wondered. Then he felt, how little I know, and how little it is possible to know; and with this thought … Continue reading
The Task Bandit
The little old man wears a beige outdoor jacket, adorned with many pockets, loops, toggles. He counts his aspirins in a small plastic bag, takes off his shoes, pulls on … Continue reading
Tomatoes and Crushes
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
He had been handsome when younger; he remained handsome, but had reached an age where people gazed at him like his days…
Sit. Create. Become.
Someone once asked Somerset Maugham if he wrote on a schedule or only when struck by inspiration. “I write only when inspiration strikes,” he replied. “Fortunately it strikes every morning … Continue reading
In-Flight Entertainment
The flight was half Coloradoans catching the first leg of a trip to the US, and half Icelanders heading home after a tour in Germany. I had been trying to … Continue reading
Watch Your Step
Thank you Lord that I spotted the three little old ladies in their long skirts and head scarves recoiling in horror at the prospect of riding an airport escalator. Made … Continue reading
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