Sharing the Mumps

by | Family, Human Comedy, Human Condition

On the day I was to start kindergarten, I woke up with the mumps. On the day I was to start kindergarten, my father woke up with them, too. I was sick, to be sure. But he was REALLY sick, and my mother called the doctor, who arrived in a flurry of concern and...

Donation

by | Arizona Life, Human Condition

For at least ten years, there has been a man I presume to be homeless who I encounter from time to time near the stores and strip malls that I go to. He has now become sunburned the color of tobacco juice, but I think that at one time his hair had been light brown....

Things You Only See Once

by | Uncategorized

It was my mother’s tradition, and she passed it on to her kids. She tried to let us absorb sights that we probably would never see again. And she would usually say, “Look closely. You might not get a chance to do it again.” Northern lights, the...

The Sign Said, ‘All Are Welcome’

by | Uncategorized

A number of years ago when my children were still very young, David and I had promised them a picnic at their favorite park. On the designated Saturday afternoon, we packed our lunches and headed out. When we arrived at the park, we initially set up at a table behind...

A Matter of Priorities

by | Human Comedy

A few decades ago, a friend of mine rented an apartment in a new complex. He was among the first of us who ventured beyond a flat in a converted farmhouse, or a third floor walk-up in a brick building. His place was shiny, modern, and “modular.” A couple...