Monthly Archives: December 2010
Mother and child
“OK, so you’re the government, and I’ll call you government. I mean flower. I’ll call you the flower. The flower, come on, pal. We have to hurry.”
“Where are we going?”
“You have to call me the chimp.”
“The champ?”
“Repeat after me, You have … Read more
Posted in Writing
Tagged chimp, flower, government, kid, love, mother, pal, relationships
Leave a comment
Self-medicating
One of the brightest boys I ever met was this fellow in grad school who spoke so slowly that you felt yourself lean into him as though to help pull the words out. He smoked tremendous amounts of pot. I figured it was an attempt … Read more
Posted in Writing
Tagged adventure, boundaries, control, cormac mccarthy, hyperactivity, pot, power, relationships, safe, self, story, Writing
6 Comments
Lucky
1. Listen to the strange communal chatter of the black ducks, the random alerts of the rooster, the grasping trees.
2. Gavin, arms approximately crossed, lecturing me to heed his instructions. You’re a little bit wild when you don’t listen.
3. Building Harry Potter Lego … Read more
Eve
My family has decided to spend Christmas with my ex-husband. They are angry with me.
I don’t really know what else to say about that. Those are the hard facts. The indisputable facts. And I wish I could make some space to feel something different. … Read more
Good
I am not a moral person. I’m an ethical person. Still, I was raised by a minister, and so I appreciate morality. Appreciate it like paintings on walls. Oh, look, that’s curious. Look how the light catches that immovable object.
And lately I’ve been a … Read more
Posted in Writing
Tagged boundaries, character, crib, ethical, grace, huck finn, mindfulness, moral, self, wrong
4 Comments
Tumor
Our favorite saying around the office, by way of bringing perspective, is “It’s not a tumor.” Yeah, the client is pissed, but it’s not a tumor. That kind of thing.
Until, of course, it is.
Our boss was playing golf when he had a seizure. … Read more
Posted in Writing
Tagged birds, bookstore, heartbreak, injury, relationships, story, tumor, women, Writing
3 Comments
Critical. Thinking.
Did someone teach you to think critically? To discern? Was there a time when you accepted as fact everything written in text books?
Do you believe that someone with an ethical code, but no moral code, can be a good person? Do you believe there … Read more
Posted in Writing
Tagged boundaries, critical thought, ethical, greeks, intelligence, judge, mindfulness, moral, power, self
Leave a comment
Golden boys
He’d never met me, but nevertheless came through a storm to help figure out if the pipes had frozen, and what should be done about it. He talked me through everything, and praised the house, and offered to help with the plumbing when the place … Read more
Disobedience
Take to your knees, child. For prayers. For reverence. You with your chin tucked, your head bowed, eyes closed. Devout and unworthy.
Repeat after me. Repeat. After me.
You are made in my image. Sacrilege. Blasphemer. You took your free will, and your fiery exit, … Read more
Couple
I came late to the monogamy party. My parents are the kind of people so in love with each other that it’s still embarrassing forty years later. But I’m curious about people, about their glow, and for long periods of time, I followed every shiny … Read more
Posted in Writing
Tagged boundaries, lesbian, love, mary, monogamy, name, nimble, relationships, self, sylvia plath, wardrobe, women
4 Comments