In writing, there is a constant pull and push between narration and disclosure. Time and time again I find myself writing “fiction” that comes from something I myself  or someone I know has experienced. This doesn’t mean that what I type into my laptop, under the guise of “current work in progress” is a direct […]

Read more "Exercising Discretion"

Anyone born between 1958 and 1973 probably can put those words, “One thing leads to another,” to music, especially if reminded of a band called The Fixx.  The band was at the height of its popularity right around the time I finished high school and, so far as I can tell, faded into happy obscurity. […]

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In this image, you see a woman comfortably seated in lotus, having coaxed her arms through and past her elbows. She looks content, bordering on bored. Here’s what it looks like when done by an actual person, who also appears pretty mellow: A side view: This week after a long break from my daily Ashtanga […]

Read more "Making Something Look Easy Takes Years"

I called my mother today to apologize for my “atrocious behavior.” (Those quotation marks are properly attributed as those were the words I used.) I caught her off guard. “What are you talking about?” she asked with genuine curiosity. I reminded her that several decades ago, I was 14 and a half. (I let this […]

Read more "A Decades-In-The-Making Apology"

Being an adult requires lots of strengths. One strength that is expected of grown-ups, pretty much across the board, is that of self-reliance. The idea that you do what you can to the best of your ability and draw satisfaction from the experience. Whether it be work, parenting, or garnering a new skill, the “adult” […]

Read more "Drawing a Contrast"

Years ago, I stayed overnight in the Spam capital of America: Austin, Minnesota. Although I skipped the museum tour, I did manage to meet an interesting woman. Divorced with a handful of teenagers–some biological, some adopted–she had just returned from two weeks abroad, traveling with her 14-year-old daughter. Just the two of them. While I […]

Read more "Why Go So Far Away?"