The Symphony: Part II
A little girl of about eight years old is a few seats to my left, but she isn’t seated. She stands through the whole first movement, wearing a red velvet … Continue reading
The Symphony: Part I
In the lobby, I spot him first. His gray hair is nearly tended. He wears a green tweed sport coat and a tie with small printed horses. I notice his … Continue reading
Upbringing
A family of four walks through the falling leaves as they circle the castle. Dad has a camera with an extensive telephoto lens. One son walks, hops, stomps alongside the … Continue reading
Next Stop
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
As usual, stops were not announced on the train. People familiar with the route rushed the hallways as we pulled into a…
Get In Someone’s Way
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
Pen at the ready, the old man attempted to fill out his check, clutching the checkbook in one hand and scrawling with…
Tram 6: Another Abbreviated Love Story
They see each other while she is a passenger and he waits at the stop. As the tram slows and the doors opens, they both lift their chins just a … Continue reading
The Juggler
There’s a huge crowd out for the street festival on Andrássy út. The roads are closed to cars. Pedestrians mill around and inspect food stands, beer stands, and watch performances … Continue reading
Relieved
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
A stray dog circles the rather vacant beach. Lean and leisurely, he weaves around people sunning themselves like he’s a bored security…
So Very Grateful
I have a file on my computer with photos from my first trip to Europe, and I have a lot of fuzzy pictures from bus rides. My first city was … Continue reading
Oh.
The blonde man wearing a blue shirt struts in his immaculate tan shoes. Even behind his sunglasses, I see him light up. Down the sidewalk a pretty brunette is waving … Continue reading
Table Manners
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
Is it raining? At an outdoor café in Novi Sad under an expansive web of umbrella-like-awnings, I wait for a slice of…
Your Life as a Masterpiece
Not all are called to be artists in the specific sense of the term. Yet, as Genesis has it, all men and women are entrusted with the task of crafting … Continue reading
Must Love (Beware of) Dogs
It’s a damp Sunday morning. There’s a vague rain and a gray haze. Between the center of the city and the airport, patches of trees are a deep green like … Continue reading
Slapstick Grandma
She gives her grandchildren a bright, rainbow umbrella. She opens it for those cherubs–a boy and a girl in galoshes–and lets the girl hold it over them both. She follows … Continue reading
You Can Read Over My Shoulder, But You Can’t Come Along
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
In the shuttle bus to the airplane, I break into scraps of conversational Turkish with a group of teenage boys from Kahramanmaraş.…
Shoeless Wonder
In the park, I sit with a friend on a blanket. We have taken off our shoes, made ourselves comfortable, catching up on what we’ve done while we were apart. … Continue reading
You Know How To Whistle, Don’t You?
He can whistle like a dog’s squeaking chew toy. A few of the people sitting in the park look up and expect to see a dog. Yet, it is the … Continue reading
The Life Cycle
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
The recreation center is busy, but like in a scene from a film, the crowd parts for a miniscule elderly lady sauntering…
Respect Your Elders
Pantera is the name of a metal band from Texas, and it’s scrawled across his t-shirt. He gruffly approaches the Information Desk. His girlfriend stands at his side with elaborate … Continue reading
In-Flight Optimism
He’s just over 21, I know this because the flight attendant checked his ID, but he still looks like a young boy with his unkempt hair and his red tennis … Continue reading
The Nice Thing About Strangers 