I didn’t know them, but I can picture them. They would have been laughing and talking, at the end of the work day, as they rode the bus from work to home in Kabul. The mix of men and women means there was flirting, too. Most of them were young, under 30, and their careers … read more So many
Month: January 2016
Notes to self
Every once in awhile, you get around to cleaning out files, folders, and even really littered spots like the Notes app on your iPhone. Warning: If you don’t do this very often, you will find many notes that have lost all meaning. For example: What the hell is a “shark connector”? Do I have one … read more Notes to self
Bluebirds and icicles
As I drove down the main road away from home, I braced myself for a lot of driving. Today was a long day full of errands and medical appointments. The car in front of me was going slower than I wanted it to, and I was annoyed. There was a sudden, brown blur. A hawk landed … read more Bluebirds and icicles
Self, contained
It’s hard to think of myself as someone who’s been traumatized. That term should be reserved for people who have been victimized in some way, my critical inner voice says. People who were beaten, raped, or hit by shrapnel – that’s trauma. Today I found myself watching a video with therapist Peter Levine about “self-soothing” … read more Self, contained
Bumpy turf
There’s ridges on my head. An indent deep enough that the sides of it make two ridges, and a double-wide ridge just above my temple. The indent is the leading end of the incision they made for the surgery. It’s maybe an inch or an inch and a half long. The ridges on my temple … read more Bumpy turf
Walking in winter
After a leisurely lunch out today, Tom wanted to drive up the mountain and take a walk. I was dragging. Tired and a little queasy. It was cold; I didn’t have my hat and scarf with me. But we went. I struggled on the uphill walk, my jacket draped over my head. The wind picked … read more Walking in winter
Girlie stuff
I read Ms. Magazine from its first year, 1972. I was barely a teenager, but I would scratch out “Miss/Mrs.” on forms and write in “Ms.” Throughout my career, I’ve been correcting reporters, editors and people at large for referring to young women as “girls.” But there’s something about a pink flannel pillow sham with … read more Girlie stuff
Advice from my 90-year-old self
I had a talk today with myself – in the year 2049. Or at least, the 90-year-old me was in 2049. I did this because I was feeling stuck and unsure of so many things, as though I’m in my 20s again (horrors!). But then I remembered how I recently gave my 23-year-old self some … read more Advice from my 90-year-old self
How I won the lottery
I almost didn’t buy a lottery ticket for the $1.5 billion Powerball. Good thing I changed my mind! Normally I don’t buy lottery tickets. Why should I? Didn’t need it. As I’ve often told people, I won the lottery already. At birth. I was born healthy, with two loving healthy parents and three loving healthy … read more How I won the lottery
A new habit
Usually new habits are hard to adopt. But I’ve changed a lifelong habit in one day. It happened because I’ve had shoulder pain from strains, off and on, for years. But lately it’s been bad, bad, bad. An MRI revealed a tear, and yesterday I learned from an orthopedic specialist that I have a frozen … read more A new habit