The Art of Goodbye
The house is empty again. Empty, but not quiet, because my 13-year-old son has left the radio on in his bedroom and his Pandora station playing in the office. I can hear both from where I stand by the front door, a cacophony of nonsensical sound. With my hand still on the doorknob, I catch one last glimpse of him in the passenger seat as the car pulls out of the driveway, his wild curls reminding me he’s overdue for a haircut. I wave, even though he’s looking the other way, then turn to survey the mess left behind in his wake. Books and games and toys on the...
Read MoreLife in the Movies
I’ve been catching up on movies lately, and found myself thinking about how much simpler everyday life would be if it followed movie rules. For one thing, it would be more convenient: in the movies, everyone speaks English. It doesn’t matter what area or era, though with older settings like ancient Greece or Rome, speech is usually delivered — strangely enough — in a British accent. If it’s a question of British English speakers versus American English speakers, then the British-speaking person is invariably either a boor, or evil. And if someone speaks in a non-English language,...
Read MoreMerit Badge
The alarm clock rings, and I discover that releasing my weary body from the comfort of my pillow-top-memory-foam bed is plenty challenging. Add the indignity of a workday, and it’s turned into the sort of Thursday where both my head and my spirit hang a little low. Feeling bulky and running late, I decide to stop off for a paper cup of overpriced coffee, which feels like a happy little incentivizing present, like giving a kid candy for using the toilet. It’s a neighborhood joint with one of those cutesy names that plays off the concept of coffee. As though coffee were a concept instead...
Read MoreA Brief Consideration of Life
Based on the Decision-Making Processes of the Ancient Persians as Reported by Herodotus Herodotus, the historian, wrote that, “If an important decision is to be made, [the ancient Persians would] discuss the question when they are drunk, and … the next day and while sober.” [1] This has stuck in my mind ever since I read it, for this is how I’d like to live my life. I don’t mean making decisions like this, discussing – or even just thinking over – everything twice. Wise as the Persians may have been. I’d like to live my life twice, once sober and once...
Read MoreDriving Into Beverly Hills
I am driving in heavy traffic to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. It takes all my concentration to navigate the 405. This freeway is always clogged with crazy L.A. drivers. A lot of them think their destination is more important than anyone else’s. Talk about entitlement in action! My appointment is at 9:45 a.m., and it’s already 9:10 a.m. I feel like I’m in a capsule, creeping along a slow-moving conveyer belt. My mouth is so dry, I have to gulp down some water. I re-grip the steering wheel and notice that my palms are damp. My palms are never sweaty! I order myself to take a deep breath....
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