How much competitiveness should we encourage in our children, and at what age? How competitive should we be with our kids? Our go go go society We know the tales of waiting lists, reference letters and expensive testing – all to get toddlers into the right preschools. Never too early to get our children properly […]
Personal politics, urban dictionary style, six ways from Sunday.
Yep. I love Urban Dictionary. It suits me, despite the fact that its lingo is harder to master than a Slavic soumise. But I can live and learn, look and learn, listen and learn. And examine our political landscape with fresher (albeit irreverent) eyes six ways from Sunday. This morning, staring down a stack of […]
Pas de nouvelles, bonnes nouvelles? Not always.
“Pas de nouvelles… bonnes nouvelles, comme dit le proverbe.” No news is good news, as the proverb says. But is the proverb true? Or is no news just… no news? No news is no news In the case of an overseas friend who hadn’t written or called in awhile, it was true. Tout allait bien; […]
More real than celebrity. A friend’s passing.
First Ed McMahon, then Farrah Fawcett, and then Michael Jackson. Each celebrity death, eclipsing the next, with the media storm over Jackson taking on a life of its own. As we knew it would. Yes, each of these three celebrities contributed to their industries in significant ways, impacted lives and memories of different generations, and […]
Nek Chand’s Mosaic People, Meg Ryan’s Hair
I am wandering a darkened hallway. Somewhere, the sun is rising. I know it is morning, but the arches and carved stone go on and on like this interminable day of subways and airport shuttles, staring at tracks and walls that begin to tighten around me, more suffocating with each passing minute, the train, now, […]
The Metamorphosis: Mrs. Kafka and the Storage Closet
Awake at 4:30. Something is awry. Sleep again. Restless. Waking, as I try to roll over. Armor back. Trying to sit up. Burning thighs. Bristling, twitching legs. So many of them. What’s happening? Lifting my head to see. Throwing the covers off. My body appears in brown sections – my abdomen, divided and ridged. My […]
Customer Service: complimentary chocolate, free flowers & a smile
Does customer service still matter in a down economy? You bet it does. I may love to wander the aisles of Whole Foods – gaze at the gorgeous flowers, the succulent fruits, the arrays of fresh vegetables in vibrant colors. But regular fare is a matter of Safeway, Kroger, or Publix – shopping according to […]
Not quite an empty nest
It’s Sunday morning. Early. I can hear everything in this quiet. My fingers tapping on the keyboard. Squirrels scampering across the roof. My own thoughts, uninterrupted, except by the usual conflicting voices – the one that is telling me to breathe deeply and enjoy these moments. The others – nagging me to get to the […]
Chicken Soup
“He’s been in bed for two days,” says the older brother. “Doing what?” I ask. “Dunno,” is the reply. “Could you give me a few specifics? Any television or piano? Was he on the computer?” “Dunno,” his brother says again, as I open the door and look in. My younger son rolls his eyes toward […]
My Hero
Get up before 6 a.m. on a Sunday morning? Are you kidding? I was barely awake. Had glanced at the alarm clock. Hit the snooze, twice. Oh do it, just do it. You know you want to. I dragged myself out of bed and headed for the coffeemaker. Pressed the buttons on the remote. Settled […]