Health and Wellness
The old man winks at a woman on a stationary bike, the kind where one can sit upright with the pedals before them. He is pushing seventy, or pulling eighty. … Continue reading
A Small Winter Story in July
Phillip is so tiny for his age. Even among the Kindergarteners, he is miniscule. Heading out to play, he is about to wear his house-shoes outdoors. The kids are bundling … Continue reading
Screening
Emir, one of the men working at security, introduces himself. Polite, friendly, grinning and testing his English. Austrian airport security seems a long way from home. He asks about my … Continue reading
Solitude with an Encore
She’s sitting alone, yet she wraps herself in a full embrace under a red pashmina. She looks meek, but wears ballet flats with sparkles. A hardback peers out the top … Continue reading
Mr. Postman Bring Me A Dream
She tugs at her left earring as she leans to her right, nearer and nearer to his mail truck. His gray hair lilts in the breeze. Even at seventy, she … Continue reading
To The Happy Couple
He is one single year old, toddling freely around the wedding during the toasts. He stops by a rather good audience member and distracts her. She acknowledges him politely, seeks … Continue reading
Do You Hello?
Friendliness is my nature. This is such a deep instinct that I’m always the one saying hello when I pass people in public. In Vienna, when you say hello to … Continue reading
Mr. Independent
A little boy in a blue t-shirt acts tough, strong, fearless. He clutches a toy truck low at his side and eyes the passengers on the train. His father sees … Continue reading
Step Dois, Três. Turn Dois, Três
The folk dancers gather, circle out, promenade, move to the music. A man in a brown hat calls out directions, and the audience whispers, “Is that English?” The Portuguese folk … Continue reading
A Love Story At Just Over Five Feet
The elderly couple hunches together over their soup. They stay like this, heads tilted toward each other, even as they finish. The waiter reaches under the bridge of their gaze … Continue reading
Self-Defense
In Vienna, I terrify a little boy who offers me his seat in the bus. He has a yin yang patch and an American flag patch affixed his backpack. This … Continue reading
The Biblio-Commuter
The man’s briefcase lies across his legs like a desk and he rests his elbows on it. The U-Bahn stops, but he does not. He inhales, sits up straight, leans … Continue reading
In Bloom.
She had no expression ready for so direct a glance and with a sense of failure she fluttered and dropped her eyes. She wondered if she were blushing. She had … Continue reading
Double Czech
The Czech woman forgot her hearing aids. She is supposed to be doing the Reading at Mass, but there are two options in the Lectionary and, “oh dear, oh my, … Continue reading
Guest Post: Rachael Hanel. We’ll Be The Last Ones To Let You Down.
Thanks so much to Paige for allowing me to guest post on her fabulous blog! If you’re like me, you are inspired by Paige’s adventurous travels. If you’re like me, … Continue reading
Under Lock and Dream
I left him to his envy. A colleague’s envy, when all is said and done, is the scholar’s one reward on earth. I didn’t tell him that in all likelihood … Continue reading
But You Can Drive Something Foreign…
For the very notion of homeland, with all its emotional power, is bound up with the relative brevity of our life, which allows us too little time to become attached … Continue reading
Book While You Can.
In fact most artists recognize their own weaknesses far better than the critics do. Only naturally there is no place for the public parade of this knowledge. If one is … Continue reading
Refresh
Sorry to be remiss, but I’m on a trip. Taking a little time to refresh both the spirit and the story reserves. Slated for next week: a baby with some … Continue reading
It Seems The Errands Run You…
A Kindergarten-aged girl walks by displays of shirts, organized by color and size. She runs her hand along the sleeves and gazes up at her mother, who totes a baby … Continue reading
The Nice Thing About Strangers 