Meet Me in St. Louis
It did not take him long to act. Often nowadays people do not know what to do and so live out their lives as if they were waiting for some … Continue reading
I Want To Tell You Something Beautiful.
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
After a few weeks practicing my Turkish with various strangers, I’m pleased with my progress–but overwhelmed by how much I still have…
Wandering and Mispronunciation
A friend asked me, “What did you do in Krakow?” I smiled to myself because my chief activity was wandering. I walked for hours in random directions. I sat in … Continue reading
Resolution
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
“Beware of pickpocketers while praying.” I pass the sign in the entryway to the Church of the Infant of Prague. I keep…
The Delight of Responsibility
He’s overjoyed. The small boy has been placed in charge of the hose at the car wash, and he’s drenching the hood of the family sedan. Straining to keep the … Continue reading
There There
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
He is the man with dark, well-slicked hair and a perfectly pressed dress shirt–imposing even in the shuttle to the airplane. He…
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
Three of a Kind
Even before you can recognize their similarity, you can read from non-verbals that they are related. The older woman picks something off the shoulder of the woman who must be … 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
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