Right…Now. Or now…or…
In fact no one recognizes the happiest moment in their lives when they are having it. It may well be that, in a moment of joy, one might sincerely believe … Continue reading
Resolution
“Beware of pickpocketers while praying.” I pass the sign in the entryway to the Church of the Infant of Prague. I keep my hands in my empty pockets. I admire … Continue reading
Good, But No Samaritan
On the 92A bus, a gruff Austrian soldier keeps his pack on as he watches intently for his stop. Two elementary-aged boys on board spot an opportunity and sneak up … Continue reading
Gift Cards and Gasoline
I had a suitcase with me and it hampered my movements, for I belong to the class of people who hate carrying anything. –Vladimir. Nabokov. Despair.
Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
As bus merged onto the highway, leaving no chance for unhappy passengers to disembark, a group of Slovakian college students old enough…
Fear in Footwear
There’s something to the Target shoe department. I’ve heard children say, “I wish people would stop having babies so we could stop going to baby showers.” I’ve seen children shuffling … Continue reading
Smile Like You’re Home
Outside the meeting to cover the Dos and Don’ts of volunteering at the asylum seekers center, I feel an urge to dash away. I am always terrified at the thought … Continue reading
Happy
Tomorrow I will read books, eat a care package of Mom’s ginger cookies and have my next birthday. I’ve got a stack of books waiting to be chosen, but I’ll … Continue reading
To See the Small Things
One never took the time to savor the details; one said: another day, but always with the hidden knowledge that each day was unique and final, that there never would … Continue reading
The Fence, The Dog, The Gasp.
There’s a creature sniffing in the bushes, this is clear to the small girl with a set of freshly coiled braids. She tugs at her pink backback on her walk … Continue reading
The Church Flirt
The church is freezing, though it isn’t particularly cold outside. Suddenly even attending Mass seems an exceptionally pious act. The tourists walking through blow steam from their lips. They clasp … Continue reading
My First Trip to Europe Anxiety. Part II.
Bus and tram trip from the airport through Prague. An old Army barracks being renovated into a mall, a KFC. Lots of graffiti, signs–I see them and the words mean … Continue reading
Ancestors
Because I, only I, see her smile a fraction before it reaches her face…Because her … Continue reading
A Hailstorm, An Opportunity.
Visiting Oregon last week, we stopped through to visit the farm where my Grandparents lived and worked most of their lives. My grandparents have both passed on, but they are … Continue reading
I Know This Much Is True
The artist is learning a special language in which to reveal truth. If you write, write from the heart, yet carefully, objectively. Never pose. Write little things which you think … Continue reading
Volim, Ne Volim
It was a Sunday afternoon, not long after my arrival, and my pathetic-looking protein bar didn’t seem a nice option for a celebratory relocation meal. So despite the rain that … Continue reading
The Nice Thing About Strangers 