Why stop at why?
Why? is a great question. Kids ask why all the time. They ask because they don’t know why. Why is that lady fat? They don’t know if she’s fat because she’s pregnant. They don’t know what pregnancy is. They’ll learn…
Last drinks at the first chance saloon
The squeak of the saloon doors announces the stranger’s arrival. A coupe of the regulars glance his way. One nods a silent greeting. The stranger doesn’t miss the regular’s slight smile. Bad luck, it says. The stranger crosses the room…
A mind of its own
Ever woken from a great dream and wished you could return to it, but couldn’t? Ever woken from a bad dream and hoped you’d seen the last of it, but you hadn’t? The way your mind refuses to think what…
What if?
What if you were 75 and had embroidered all your life. Worsening arthritis eventually makes embroidery too painful. You put down your needle, but your creative passion continues to burn fervently. You look for another creative field that will be…
A table for twelve
The doorbell rings. Right on time. I make my way to the door with excitement. I have been looking forward to this night for a long time. I have invited twelve guests. All strangers. Now, the first of them has…
When the well runs dry
Have you ever run out of ideas? I have. For someone who makes a living from coming up with ideas, coming up with no ideas is a big deal. If you’ve ever been stuck for ideas, what did you do?…
A mirror for larks
How often do we walk into the trap? How often do we get lured into fighting the wrong fight? I thought about this when I came across an old Italian phrase, “specchietto per le allodole” – a mirror for larks….
The light in front
What’s the one thing you’d most like to achieve in life? I don’t know how you have answered this question, but I’ll tell you something. It’s a question most of us never ask ourselves. Of those who do, most get…
Is this how it ends?
Imagine you’re a woman. (If you’re a woman, please disregard this preliminary step.) We’ll call you Rachel. (If Rachel’s your real name, then here’s something else you needn’t imagine.) Five years ago, you married your high school sweetheart. Last year…
Comfortably Numb
What is it about comfort that has most of us addicted? We want a comfortable bed to sleep in and a comfortable chair to sit on. We want to wear comfortable shoes. Some of us want a comfortable bra. In…