Postcard for Addy #2: Budapest and Vienna
Dear Addy, Greetings, dear niece of mine. I’ll see you soon (just in time for your 6th birthday!), but I wanted to share a few more pictures from my trip. … Continue reading
You Can Tell Me
Yes, it’s true, I was speaking to myself, but don’t we all? We all have a second person buried inside us, a dear friend to whom we whisper to our … Continue reading
Inspire Curiosity
Men who sell simits–a bagel-pretzel coated in toasted sesame seeds–are almost as ubiquitous in Istanbul as ankle-breakable holes in the sidewalk. Since I often took the same streets, I often … Continue reading
It Takes One to Waltz
A boy in a hooded sweatshirt tips back his generic energy drink, then pauses under the illuminated sign for a dance studio. In the window, a display of streamers and … Continue reading
Perhaps Today is a Good Day To Begin (Again).
I know thousands of people who are waiting for their lives to slow down so they can become an artist. Your life is not going to slow down probably until … Continue reading
Grasping at Grandmas
I’d been on a mission: to get old Turkish ladies to like me. I love elderly people, but I wasn’t getting a warm reception when I beamed at the grandmas. … Continue reading
Saturday-Ja-Vu: The Bus Boys
Two boys on a bus that you may have missed, or may enjoy re-visiting. Have a nice weekend! A Seat of One’s Own
Postcard for Addyson #1
Dear Addy, The two postcards I sent from Turkey took about 6 weeks to reach you. So I thought I’d send an update that would show up in Colorado before … Continue reading
Manners
On the busy road, a taxi driver slows, inspiring a concerto of honking horns behind him. A red soccer ball rolls into traffic. I notice the children, the owners of … Continue reading
The Joy of Forgetting
This morning I took my notebook out for a date at the park. We had a delightful time. I ran a pen dry. While taking notes on what I’ve seen … Continue reading
Free.
One minute I am straining every nerve to be the sort of person I was expected to be and shaking in my boots for fear I would fail–and the next … Continue reading
Palms
Two small boys track the line of workers trimming the palm trees. The men in green jumpsuits stare up at the man-lift. The boys nod at each other with tight-lipped smiles … Continue reading
A Place to Tie Your Wishes: Affection and Cargo
A line of tour buses waited outside the leather goods store. As tourists wandered in to admire coats and boots despite the 100 degree heat, their drivers scattered out–smoking, standing … Continue reading
En Sonunda/Finally
Friday in Istanbul and a surprise: The Reason I’m Learning Turkish took the day off so we could hang out. Yay! *Beam!* Still, I like that reading habit you’re rocking … Continue reading
Macho Maço Man
He struts wide, pacing to both sides of the sidewalk as he walks. He thrusts his arms out, adjusting his button-up shirt on his frame, propelling himself forward with a … Continue reading
I Want To Tell You Something Beautiful.
After a few weeks practicing my Turkish with various strangers, I’m pleased with my progress–but overwhelmed by how much I still have to learn. Smiling helps. Smiling helps me make … Continue reading
Seaside Sobbing
At the park, the family waits for their turn on a swing. The huge contraption has two benches that face each other so the family can all sit together–knees to … Continue reading
Relieved
A stray dog circles the rather vacant beach. Lean and leisurely, he weaves around people sunning themselves like he’s a bored security guard. He heads for an unattended pile of … Continue reading
Linger, Loiter
The pair meets in the Kültürpark, a space filled with palm trees, joggers, idle folks napping on benches, doing Sudoku on benches, staring into space on benches. A grandfather takes … Continue reading
A Warning for the End of the Wanderlust
I would become a respectable person. I left the university, trained for my father’s profession, went abroad to get a better grasp of things, then went home and worked hard … Continue reading
The Nice Thing About Strangers 