the beauty of an ordinary life
Now here we are at summer’s sun-stand, the long solstice (in the northern hemisphere, anyway) of June, fruit of a cycle born six months ago at the onset of winter. It’s still an anything-can-happen era with a why-the-hell-not vibe. It’s the time to ask, again: If not now, then when?
I’ve been thinking about getting a tattoo. If we know each other, in real life, then this revelation may be shocking. If we know each other very well, though, then it’s possibly not unexpected. I have been thinking about it, a tattoo, though not terribly seriously, for longer than I’ll admit, even here. Tattoos, like…
The still young-ish couple and their month-old baby are sitting in the small neighborhood Chinese restaurant on a chilly, dark October night. The restaurant is mostly a take-out and delivery hub, so most of the tables inside are empty. They have come here, this couple and their new baby, because it is close to their…
Here’s how I knew we were going to the beach and not to my grandparents’ house at Hardy: when we turned from our street and drove past the Howard Johnson’s (where we went to get ice cream), we turned and drove up a ramp, past the billboard picture of the girl with the dog tugging…
“I’m not actually a very nice person,” June said, as she ushered me into her home. It was our first and only face-to-face meeting, although our connection traced to before either of us was born. June’s mother and my father were friends in their youth; and then our parents were friends; and in a larger,…
The key, I say, is to start with a good anchor and then keep it simple; let simple words do the work so you can remember: I’m going on a trip, and I’m taking an alligator. I’m going on a trip, and I’m taking an alligator and a ball, she says. I’m going on a…
Yes, me too. From the very beginning, until the very end. Always. Because, from the beginning, When I was very small I slept in a tall, iron-framed bed, next to the upstairs front window in our big, drafty house that creaked in the night. When it was time for the lights to be turned out,…
Here’s how I drilled a hole in my thumb: When Bernard walked into our bedroom, I was in the middle of saying: farewell, blue shirt; thank you for bringing out the blue in my eyes. And Bernard said: what the hell are you doing? And I said: I told you already; I’m going to spend…
