Last night my Dad told those gathered around him, “I don’t want to be a burden.” This morning, I read from Henry Nouwen’s, Adam’s Peace. “Adam can do nothing. He is completely dependent on others. His gift is purely being with us. Adam’s peace is first of all a peace rooted in being. Being is…… Continue reading I Don’t Want to Be a Burden
Category: Uncategorized
April 18, 2020
April 12 My brother Greg mentioned that there are perhaps more moments of children and parents having a catch these days. In my childhood, this would have been my sister or my dad with whom I had a catch. I hit my sister in the shin once with a fastball and she hasn’t tossed a…… Continue reading April 18, 2020
April 11, 2020
2020 April 5 I left for college my freshman year driving a Pontiac crammed with Advent stereo speakers and a Yamaha receiver. I was wearing my uniform of the times, Nike sneakers with a sky blue swoosh, a polo shirt and Lee jeans. Elvis had just left the building, he died in August…… Continue reading April 11, 2020
April 4, 2020
March 28 Questions of priority and sanity are framed in stark relief by cataclysm. For instance, “Why is it easier to buy marijuana than a good book these days?”, Wendy Paris asks in an LA Times article. Closer to home, a friend of mine wrote: “I’m seriously confused, Dunkin’ Doughnuts is still open but parks…… Continue reading April 4, 2020
March 28, 2020
My wife turned off the television and said to our eldest child, “Go upstairs and write down your feelings. One day you will look back on this day and be glad that you did.” Our eleven-year-old daughter went to her bedroom to ponder what she had seen that horrific Tuesday, September 11, 2001. She came…… Continue reading March 28, 2020
It will get better
My brother is visiting from New York. I call him Doctor Zhivago for no particular reason, other than it has a certain zest like Seinfeld when he can’t stop saying, “Salsa!” Doc Toby has given our family thousands of dollars worth of free medical advice through the years. Sometimes his pro bono advice fits his…… Continue reading It will get better
Strange Days
These are strange days. The earth doesn’t seem to be spinning as fast, yet the moon rises and we rest awaiting another day and the wonder of what shoe will drop next. It is a dreary Saturday with no sports on television, as the barbarians are climbing the walls, my retirement account is shrinking, and…… Continue reading Strange Days
Why Do I Play Pickleball?
Karen and I just got back from Edmond where we won a medal in mixed doubles. Karen thinks we should get money rather than medals. I remind her that I’m a two time loser in side jobs…golf (I made $271.00 in 1982 as a pro) and writing (I received $107.20 in book royalties in 2019)…… Continue reading Why Do I Play Pickleball?
Riding the Rails with Harriet and Grandma
My sister and I rode one of the last passenger trains passing through the Bartlesville depot. Grandma Taylor lassoed us onto that train because she wanted a break from driving her clunky AMC Rambler. She wasn’t great at driving and she was even worse at stopping. My nose collided with the cigarette lighter of that…… Continue reading Riding the Rails with Harriet and Grandma
Haunted Houses & Bars of Orion
Lately I’ve been feeling like I’m 14 years old. Which is my typical maturity level, but no, I’m referring to the other cognitive signposts of that age. Take pickleball for instance. As I compete in pickleball tournaments and the competitive juices flow, I feel 14 years old once more. Seven matches later, I realize I’m…… Continue reading Haunted Houses & Bars of Orion
