On 15 July 2015 I worked a twelve-hour day at Intel, Corporation. No one expected me to do this; especially my management because on 15 June 2015 they informed me that I met a formula– I was to be laid off. There was a lot of emotional and intellectual confusion about this unhappy event. While…
Category: Reflections
What My 17-year-old Self has to Say to my 57-year-old Self
“That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet”- Emily Dickinson In high school I read lots of Emily Dickinson’s writings. Her letters counter the reclusive poet image that many have of her. The richness of language and exuberant expression inspired my teenage soul as much as my regular attendance of Catholic…
Advice to a Freshman College Student
These are a few of the thoughts I recently shared with my nephew Brian. He graduated from high school at the end of May 2018 and begins university at the end of August 2018. Dear Brian, We like to think of graduations as a major milestone in our lives. I have come to think of…
Sorting Glass
Snipping off the thin ring of metal. Brown, Green, Clear? Underhand toss with a high enough arc to clear the upper rim of the bin. In the 1970’s recycling was a Do-It-Yourself affair. No curbside pickup, no co-mingling. You drove to the dump and sorted it yourself. While not a regular family outing some Saturdays…
Lessons from My History Teacher- Mr Hines
As part of my Gratitude Project I wrote the following letter to Mr Robert E Hines which I share with his permission. It’s dated 2 June 2018. Dear Bob; Great teachers teach beyond than their subject matter. They impart life lessons to their students. Students may be deaf to this other lessons because they were…
My Year of Magical Thinking
They tell me everyone grieves in her own way. During my husband’s illness with pancreatic cancer I learned that a friend from graduate school had lost his son Sam to a car accident. Though it had been many years since we had spoken, my heart sank. I knew that John dearly loved his children as…
Never Too Late to Dance
Dad only began ski lessons when his children began lessons. He had learned on the slopes with friends in the 1950’s. As an athletic young man he managed well enough. Mom mentioned that she had taken lessons when she took up the sport. The long trips to mountains north of New York City may have…
Vacation Processes—Getting Ready
Growing up: My family regularly took a ski vacation in the Winter to the Adirondacks of New York. To balance the budget, we drove slightly shorter to the Berkshires of New York and camped at Taconic State Park right next to the small town of Copake Falls. When taking any extended trip my father had…
Review of 2017 Aspirational Quotes
Resolutions for the new year have long been abandoned by me. Instead, I find quotes that capture an attribute or life practice to which I aspire. Before choosing my 2018 quotes it seemed wise to reflect on last years’ quotes. It isn’t that they can’t see the solution. It is that they can’t see the…
All Dogs Cannot Be Male
You’re with me, right? It’s biologically impossible for all dogs to be male. The general population knows that it takes a male and female dog to procreate. That’s how puppies are made. Then, why do ninety percent of the people who stop me when I’m walking Layla ask “What’s his name?” I respond “Her name…