Manners
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
On the busy road, a taxi driver slows, inspiring a concerto of honking horns behind him. A red soccer ball rolls into…
There There
He is the man with dark, well-slicked hair and a perfectly pressed dress shirt–imposing even in the shuttle to the airplane. He helps a little old lady move her suitcase … Continue reading
Tourists and Toy Cars
The metro screeches. People wearing headphones are only posing, as almost nothing can be heard, especially when the train arches around corners. A mother and her four-year-old son sit side-by-side … Continue reading
Hustle Up
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
And when you die will it have mattered a damn whether you ever lived or not? -W. Somerset Maugham. Christmas Holiday. Chain…
Carried on the Wind
They wait at the crosswalk outside of the Echt Günstig, a pair of twenty-something women in t-shirts and skinny jeans. The woman with the very dark, very curly hair watches … Continue reading
Sisters.
As they come down the isle of the airplane, it can be assessed that they are likely sisters, both about five feet tall, one with black hair the other lighter. … Continue reading
To Pass the Time
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
Among the many reasons I like Croatian bus drivers is that they will carry on conversations with you knowing full well you…
A Light Change
Her daughter is in the back, buckled into a car seat, but facing forward and in the middle. The baby girl holds a blanket and rubs her fingers against the … Continue reading
Hoşçakal to Life as You Know It.
You’ve thrown away your chance for a normal life…This is what makes you such an exceptional person. -Orhan Pamuk. Snow.
The Company You Keep
It’s a good time for the lonely. Wear a Bluetooth headset at the market, and you may speak to yourself with impunity while hunting for just the right melon. Your … Continue reading
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
The narrow street has two neighboring restaurants. In the first, a woman setting silverware yells at the man behind the register. Her coworker is presumably family. She squeals as he … Continue reading
Making Arrangements for Another Adventure
Now I’m inclined to think it was the inevitable outcome of my years in Europe. Almost all the people who’ve had most effect on me I seem to have met … Continue reading
Volim, Ne Volim
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
It was a Sunday afternoon, not long after my arrival, and my pathetic-looking protein bar didn’t seem a nice option for a…
Be Cool
It takes a while before he realizes he’s on the wrong side of the waiting area fence. He’s in front of it. Dozens of other people wait obediently behind the … Continue reading
The Lone Star and her Husband
A man with a pink-striped polo shirt with a nonetheless tough disposition walks by the café window. He sees the sixty-something red-haired woman at a table inside. He breaks out … Continue reading
Personal Space
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
At mid-morning, the U-Bahn platform was nearly abandoned. The young woman with ceaseless layers walked to her usual waiting place and stopped.…
Mother, May I…
The tiny toddler girl takes a long draw on her carton of milk. She concludes with a loud “Ahhhh” of alleged refreshment. She grins at her mother. She tugs at … Continue reading
Already Packed
We carry within ourselves the direction our lives will take. Within ourselves burn the timeless, fateful stars. -Antal Szerb. Journey by Moonlight.
When All The German Fell Out Of My Head
In every tunnel, because the darkness turns the windows into mirrors, people in the train gaze at their own reflection. They pose, pat their hair, examine their own eyes. As … Continue reading
For A Rainy Day
Love and trust and gentleness between two humans is rare. Love is rare and the expression of love is rare. I am grateful to you. -Iris Murdoch. The Green Knight.
The Nice Thing About Strangers 