Crabby and Flirty
“I’ve been here 26 years,” a crab catcher tells the woman in the bulky navy coat. She’d been sitting in her car, watching the crabbing, perhaps waiting on one of … Continue reading
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
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
An elementary-aged girl pushed the button for the tram to stop, then turned to her birdcage, which she had propped on a…
The Life Cycle
The recreation center is busy, but like in a scene from a film, the crowd parts for a miniscule elderly lady sauntering slowly toward an exercise bike. She chooses one … 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
Okay, Here We Go
“That’s a good dog,” she says as her huge creature chases a panicked wild bunny, then runs into the neighbor’s yard to relieve itself. “Go get that rabbit. I know … 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
Thank You For Your Service
He ambled through the aisle of the convenience store. His hat read “Veteran: World War II.” I beamed at him, as I do at most elderly people, and he stopped … 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…
Love Grows Here
My mother’s flower gardens in the fall. Her father was a farmer and often raised fields of flowers for seeds. She grows flowers to give (I frequently see her cutting … Continue reading
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
Peace. Or The Days When You Could Fit Your Knees Into Your Shirt.
They’re early for Mass, the Dad and his tiny son. The boy totes a plush Luigi from Super Mario Brothers. He wears black and neon yellow shoes that light up … Continue reading
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
She parks in the first spot outside Arby’s, and he waits patiently in the passenger side, readying his oxygen tank as she…
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
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
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