A is for Ankle
I was on the ground without warning, my palms bearing the brunt of the sudden fall. It surprised me, this new ground-level viewpoint; I was down in the dark, my bag having splayed its belongings around me on the rough sidewalk concrete. “Where is my Burt’s Bees pomegranate lip balm?” …
Inventory your A-Z
Intrigued by her creatures and small houses, I’m inspired by the Encyclopedia of Me that Bella Dia is creating in August, one letter at a time. Sure, I’m starting late, but perhaps a daily catalog of A-Z will jumpstart writing again, even in this fantastical heat. Perhaps "A" will be …
Surface, surface, surface
There are times in one’s life, I should think, when writing is simply out of the question. For example, working on a B-314 submarine would be one of those instances for me, the claustrophobia alone making it impossible to concentrate on anything other than the enormous pressure of water all …
Dip into archives
A new reader wrote this morning to ask about past essays. Seems they are hard to find. While there is a Google search box in the left column, that really doesn’t help if you want to read old essays at random. There are over 180 essays on this site, mainly …
Go home
The amazing people I meet in my classes at the Institute, the conversations, the experiences–all bring me back again and again, for over a decade now. And yet, after all the moments that give me insight–Alice at 86 teaching me to play and learn always, Miguel’s photographs inviting me to …
Get your dance back
There are extraordinary people among us. My class last week was a magical combination of extraordinary ones, including a woman who got her PhD when she was 82. She’s now 86. Every time she opened her mouth, a story emerged that enraptured and informed us, those around her. Alice, we …
Unknot, simplify, let it alone
“A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone.” –Thoreau
Eat cabbage
The Cabbage You have rented an apartment. You come to this enclosure with physical relief, your heavy body climbing the stairs in the dark, the hall bulb burned out, the landlord of Greek extraction and possibly a fatalist. In the apartment leaning against one wall, your daughter’s painting of a …
Be a witness
Sometimes we expend energy by reacting when stillness is called for. "Just stay focused. Don’t react. Just be a witness and you will see the magic of it." – Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji Slow down. Respond, don’t react. Sit still. Be a witness. See magic.
