To Be Human
The Good Neighbor looks beyond those external accidents, and discerns those inner qualities that make all men human, and therefore brothers. -Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Strength to Love.
Five Reasons To Travel Alone
After several requests for tips or hints about solo travel, I’m breaking a bit from the usual quick tales for a Five List. Feel free to let me know if … Continue reading
Baseball, Fatherhood, and Peace
The little old man playing the organ has lost most of his hearing, so he plays by heart. He plays beautifully, sweetly. Organs always make me think of baseball games, … Continue reading
Welcome Home
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
Long blonde ponytailed-twentysomething balances on her wedge shoes and tugs her jacket over her leggings and looks as angry as she had…
How To Get Rid of the Hiccups
She has the hiccups. Her husband wears a golf cap. They are extremely slow in shuffling to their Buick. The snow has turned to patches of slush, some just puddles … Continue reading
Meh. I don’t know, what do you want to do?
I thought with melancholy how an author spends months writing a book, and maybe puts his heart’s blood into it, and then it lies about unread till the reader has … Continue reading
Crabby and Flirty
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
From the Oregon coast, courtesy of Mitch Rohse “I’ve been here 26 years,” a crab catcher tells the woman in the bulky…
Happiness Granted
On a bench at the mall, a young mother rests with a baby in her lap and a toddler at her feet. She encourages the toddler, “Say Happy New Year! … Continue reading
The Notebook, Journaling, and the Good Habit of Scrawling
I have been searching my pockets for my mislaid notebook. This notebook of mine contains some remarkable entries: Underlined! My sickness is underlining important things; there is almost nothing but … Continue reading
Shyness is Nice, But…
I watched the boy watching the girl. He is cute, but with a very young face. He’s outfitted with the narrow black jeans and black hooded jacket of most guys … Continue reading
The Ideal
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
The young mother held her daughter’s hand as the tiny girl leapt off the curb, hustled ahead, then slowed down–her mother’s arm…
Nervous Vienna Notes.
Well, I confess: I’m working on a longer something-or-other that may-or-may-not be book-shaped, and it’s been taking a lot of my energy. I found this week I wasn’t really watching … Continue reading
When It Begins
I always loved twilight: it was the only time I had the feeling that something important could happen. All things were more beautiful bathed in twilight, all streets, all squares, … Continue reading
Totally Not Making This Up
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
The salesman gazes and grins at a tourist sitting alone in the outdoor café. Her chair points toward his shop. To investigate…
Seatmate
On the train from Novi Sad to Budapest, a woman parks herself right next to me, though half of the train is empty. Perhaps she wants a guaranteed seat next … Continue reading
Carry On
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
Several members of the Hajduk Split soccer team coalesced outside the airplane. Since the players were spry, many were the first out.…
What the Heart Wants
“I’m weak when I fall in love,” she says. “I walk on air. I lose my appetite. I can’t think straight. I’m not one to be sensible. My heart has … Continue reading
The Impatient Italians and the Fighting Irish
In Medjugorje, there’s a crowd of people entering the church, praying at the grotto, climbing steep hills in prayer. It’s a place of retreat, usually quiet, usually peaceful. This morning … Continue reading
Hand-Holding, Skeletons, and Snacks
Originally posted on The Nice Thing About Strangers:
Whenever I remember that I have a skeleton, I get a wave of anxious queasiness. In science classrooms, I would cringe at…
Prints
It’s the Department of Motor Vehicles, so no one is really crossing any items off their Bucket List around here. The lack of enthusiasm shows in glum faces, distant stares, … Continue reading
The Nice Thing About Strangers 